Does Clark's tax plan excuse people from responsibility?

[democratreformed]

Excerpt:
"Kerry's day included a New Hampshire standard: the purchase of a jacket at Timberland headquarters in Stratham. Substantively, his emphasis was a critique of tax plans offered by Clark, Dean and Gephardt. He questioned whether Clark's plan, unveiled this week, to eliminate taxes on people earning less than $50,000 a year "kind of excuses them from a sense of responsibility for the country."

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A63270-2004Jan7¬Found=true

It's an older article, but I just saw it.

Edit to add: I missed this before and I was really surprised that a fellow Democrat could use such a line. I am glad to know that Wes Clark answered this charged credibly.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Clark's plan works for me.

:D

[mikehiggins]

2. Since this article is over two weeks old you may have already

heard Clark's reply, one part of which was the fact that many people from this economic strata have seen their children march off to war for this nation, oftentimes never to come back.

Not paying income tax does not mean people are not taking responsibility for their country. Not everything in life can be broken down to dollars and cents.

Poor and working class people know that without having to be told.

[democratreformed]

3. I missed it before

and I was shocked to see this a few minutes ago. To me, it (Kerry's comment)is complete and total CRAP.

Edit to add: I'm glad to hear Wes answered the charge.

[Toucano]

4. What about all the other taxes those people pay?

Gasoline taxes
Sales taxes
Property taxes
Telecommunications taxes
Alcohol taxes
Tobacco taxes
Parking taxes

And I'm sure there are more.

I guess that represents taking no responsibility for the country.

I think I spent a greater portion of my net worth on Girl Scout cookies than the Waltons gave away to charity in the last three years.

[Skwmom]

5. They will still play plenty of taxes.

1. FICA which is used to run the government (just like the federal income tax).
2. Sales tax.
3. State income tax.
4. Utility taxes.
5. Property taxes.
and on and on.

[LincolnMcGrath]

7. Payroll taxes!

Do those paying Income taxes but not Payroll taxes unpatriotic?

[Skwmom]

6. The children of the middle class and poor are the ones required

to pay the ultimate sacrifice for this country, so why shouldn't the rich do their part and pay more in income taxes (it's not like they don't reap more than enough of the benefits)?

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. The poor have the honor of sacrificing their lives to help US businesses

stay strong by generating additional revenues from US possessions around the globe.

It is only fair that they pay a little extra tax.

[Rincewind]

8. taxes

First of all, I must admit I don't know what Clark's tax plan sates in full, but it sounds like it's just for federal income taxes. If so, it sounds fine by me, but then I've never made more than $50,000 so that would exempt me from all federal income taxes. Then all I would have to pay would be state income tax, sales tax, property tax, social security tax, Medicare tax, excise tax on my power, phone and cable. Federal, state, local and sales tax on gasoline and probably quite a few taxes I can't think of off the top of my head. I think that with a little effort, I could keep a sense of responsibility towards the country.

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. Kerry believes cutting capital gains taxes and incentives to business is

the best way to help "the little guy."

[wellstone dem]

10. Astonishing

Kerry's statement that working families wouldn't feel a sense of responsibility for their country if they didn't pay federal income taxes is revealing.

Let's compare the numbers of people serving in the military from families at that income level with families at Kerry's income level and then we can talk about a "sense of responsibility."

Let's compare the percentage of income paid as state, sales, payroll, and property taxes at the $50,000 income level with Kerry's income level and then we can talk about a "sense of responsibility."

Let's compare the struggle to feed, clothe, shelter, educate, pay child care, and otherwise maintain a family at the $50,000 income level with those at his income level and then we can talk about a "sense of responsibility."

Kerry's insensitivity to the lives of working families is, to put it politely, astonishing.

[arewethereyet]

11. it would have no chance at passage, thats the problem

there aer some darn silly campaign promises going around this year.

Anyone making those promises disrespects their constituants.

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. In addition to all of the above

Working people keep the country working. Plain and simple. And in return they have all of the stress and uncertainty of not knowing if they can provide a good education for their children, or save any money for any emergency that may befall them. They drive often undependable autos if they drive at all, and there is no money, or very little of it, for vacations overseas, They work overtime or two jobs. They fix the streets, and snake the wires, and staff the stores, and serve the meals in restaurants, and teach the children, and drive the ambulances, and haul the trash. They do all of this and more, and were any of this not to get done, for wages that the upper middle and upper classes would sneer at, than this great country of ours would grind down to an economic basket case, with poor or nonexistent services and decaying infra structures.

I do believe that the people who take the very least responsibility for the well being of our society are the ones who let money make more money for them, while personal staff ensure that their lives run smoothly and their refined needs are met. And those people should be paying taxes, more than they are, and that is the least they can do for a country that provides them with a secure and friendly setting to live a privileged life.