Comments on: How did the GOP’s long time anti tax platform morph into complaints that poor people don’t pay enough taxes? https://habitablezone.com/2012/09/19/how-did-the-gops-long-time-anti-tax-platform-morph-into-complaints-that-poor-people-dont-pay-enough-taxes/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:50:17 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2012/09/19/how-did-the-gops-long-time-anti-tax-platform-morph-into-complaints-that-poor-people-dont-pay-enough-taxes/#comment-18626 TB Thu, 20 Sep 2012 02:26:18 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=22496#comment-18626 <p>The "poor?"</p> Is the poverty rate in this country 47 percent? That percentage is accurate for people who pay no Federal income tax, although nit-picking fact checkers are saying the current number is closer to 46 percent. In the mid 80s, the number of non-payers was about 15 percent. Note that the poverty rate in the mid 80s was about 15 percent. The poverty rate right now? About 15 percent. Hell, the poverty rate in this country has held steady between about 11 and 15 percent since 1965. We aren't talking about the "poor" any more, are we? And one more time, the problem isn't taxes, it's spending. The amount of estimated Federal revenues this year would have had us in surplus for every year prior to 2001. I'm continuously amazed that a piece of information like that makes no impression on dedicated leftists. The “poor?”

Is the poverty rate in this country 47 percent?

That percentage is accurate for people who pay no Federal income tax, although nit-picking fact checkers are saying the current number is closer to 46 percent.

In the mid 80s, the number of non-payers was about 15 percent. Note that the poverty rate in the mid 80s was about 15 percent. The poverty rate right now? About 15 percent. Hell, the poverty rate in this country has held steady between about 11 and 15 percent since 1965.

We aren’t talking about the “poor” any more, are we?

And one more time, the problem isn’t taxes, it’s spending. The amount of estimated Federal revenues this year would have had us in surplus for every year prior to 2001. I’m continuously amazed that a piece of information like that makes no impression on dedicated leftists.

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