Reply #13: the lie patrol

[Gabi Hayes]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_10/004860.php

example from the debates of 2004

the lie:

"A great many of our small businesses pay taxes under the personal income taxes rather than the corporate rate. And about 900,000 small businesses will be hit if you do, in fact, do what they want to do with the top bracket."

the facts:

''Cheney's assertion is taken from this report by the Tax Policy Center. However, the 900,000 number (actually 995,000) refers to individuals with any amount of business income, not to small businesses themselves. The correct number for actual businesses with employees is only 72,000. Needless to say, Dick Cheney knows this perfectly well.

(It's also worth pointing out that under Kerry's plan there are 17.2 million individuals with business income who would get tax cuts. On a net basis, therefore, 16.2 million individuals with business income would pay less tax under Kerry's plan. For small businesses, a net of 1.2 million would pay less''


http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/TaxModel/tmdb/TMTemplate.cfm?DocID=715&topic2ID=40&topic3ID=59

it's worth reading some of the comments on this page, as some very accurately predicted that even the most egregious lies got no traction in the M$M. what a surprise