Rep. Steve King misses the days when only property owners could vote

[one...two...tree 2,762]

KING:

As I roll this thing back and I think of American history, there was a time in American history when you had to be a male property owner in order to vote. The reason for that was, because they wanted the people who voted—that set the public policy, that decided on the taxes and the spending—to have some skin in the game.

Now we have data out there that shows that 47 percent of American households don't pay taxes, 51 percent of American wage-earners don't have an income tax liability. And it's pretty clear that there are a lot of people who are not in the workforce at all. In fact, of our unemployment numbers—that run in the 13 or 14 million category—when you go to the Department of Labor Statistics and you look at that data, you can add up those that are simply not in the workforce of different age groups, but of working age, add that number to the number of those who are on unemployment and you come up with a number that was just a few months ago 80 million Americans. Just over a month ago that number went over 100 million Americans that aren't working.

Now I don't think they're paying taxes. But many of them are voting. And when they vote, they vote for more government benefits.

Nearly half of Americans don't pay taxes? We've heard that one a few thousand times before, and it's been well debunked. To wit:

Some 86 percent of working households pay more in payroll taxes than in federal income taxes. In fact, low- and moderate-income people pay a much larger share of their incomes in federal payroll taxes than high-income people do: taxpayers in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale paid an average of 8.8 percent of their incomes in payroll taxes in 2007, compared to just 1.6 percent for taxpayers in the top 1 percent of the income distribution. ... Low-income families also pay substantial state and local taxes. Most state and local taxes are regressive, meaning that low-income families pay a larger share of their incomes in these taxes than wealthier households do. The bottom fifth of taxpayers paid 12.3 percent of their incomes in state and local taxes in 2010, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) model. That was well above the 7.9 percent average rate that the top 1 percent of households paid.

And as for the property owners as the only people with "skin in the game," how do you even answer that? All of those people, like the wives and children and slaves who made the owning of property even possible, didn't have skin in the game? Sigh.

There are plenty of those pesky facts with their liberal bias that Steve King doesn't want to think about. He much prefers to reminisce fondly about the days when only (white, male) property owners were eligible to vote. Talk about the good old days! So that's King's idyllic future, where only propertied white men can vote, and "every little boy that grows up in America would have to put a couple dimes up on the counter to buy their Skittles or every little girl that bought her Barbie doll clothes would have to do the same." Yes, he really said that.

http://www.dailykos....vote?via=blog_1

Edited October 6, 2011 by DFH

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

As I roll this thing back and I think of American history, there was a time in American history when you had to be a male property owner in order to vote. The reason for that was, because they wanted the people who voted—that set the public policy, that decided on the taxes and the spending—to have some skin in the game.

Edited October 6, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Another problem solved by the FAIR TAX

[^_^ 5,021]

Another problem solved by the FAIR TAX

A Euro style VAT would address it even better.

[^_^ 5,021]

KING: ... 51 percent of American wage-earners don't have an income tax liability.

...

We've heard that one a few thousand times before, and

it's been well debunked.

To wit

:

Some 86 percent of working households pay more in payroll taxes than in federal income taxes.

What do they call it when you debunk something other than the actual claim you're claiming to debunk?

[mawilson 2,133]

What do they call it when you debunk something other than the actual claim you're claiming to debunk?

Bunk?

[^_^ 5,021]

Bunk?

Well played, sir. Well played, indeed.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

A Euro style VAT would address it even better.

But would not eliminate income tax.

[^_^ 5,021]

But would not eliminate income tax.

The only thing that would eliminate the income tax is legislation eliminating the income tax. A national sales tax would not eliminate the income tax absent legislation specifically eliminating the income tax. A Euro style VAT could be accompanied by an elimination of the income tax if legislation was passed.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The only thing that would eliminate the income tax is legislation eliminating the income tax. A national sales tax would not eliminate the income tax absent legislation specifically eliminating the income tax. A Euro style VAT could be accompanied by an elimination of the income tax if legislation was passed.

The FAIR TAX bill as introduced requires a constitutional amendment to eliminate income tax before being implemented. There is no proposal, currently, for a national sales tax that does NOT eliminate income tax.

A VAT tax could probably serve the same purpose and may even reduce further the number of people collecting the tax, but if it did not eliminate the income tax at the same time it is just more tax...and leaves the current broken system in place.

[^_^ 5,021]

The FAIR TAX bill as introduced ...

They call Congress a sausage factory for a reason. It really doesn't matter what is introduced... it only matters what comes out the other end.

My point being - and this not intended to inflame you but I suspect it will - that a FAIR tax bill (or similar) could come through the sausage factory with some form of income tax intact.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Civilization will end in about 14 months. I am stocking up on booze, drugs, personal lube, and phone numbers for the final blowout.

[scandal 951]

The only thing that would eliminate the income tax is legislation eliminating the income tax.

Legislation requires a functioning legislature. This is America. We don't believe in such a commie idea.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

They call Congress a sausage factory for a reason. It really doesn't matter what is introduced... it only matters what comes out the other end.

My point being - and this not intended to inflame you but I suspect it will - that a FAIR tax bill (or similar) could come through the sausage factory with some form of income tax intact.

I suppose that is true, and I would even be OK with legislative removal of the income tax rather than amendment. I would not be pleased with BOTH forms of tax. Is it possible, yes I suppose.

Similarly I really do not like Cain's 999 plan because it leaves income tax in place, but I like that he realizes we cannot keep the same system.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Daily Kos...addicting info... posting the same #######.

Just because someone 'talks about' something, doesn't mean they are guilty of wanting that.