Orrin Hatch Rips 'Perverse' Tax System That Spares Lower Middle Class

[Derechos]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) pushed back Monday on criticism that he wants to tax the poor, but called it "perverse" that people on the bottom half of the income ladder pay little or no federal income tax.

Hatch attracted heavy criticism last week for saying the poor need to "share some of the responsibility" for lowering the deficit while complaining that the rich already pay too much in taxes.

Hatch backtracked somewhat on Monday, but still suggested that the rich have an unfair share of the load.

"I don’t want to tax the truly poor, those who would help themselves if they could," Hatch said. "But you can’t tell me that 51 percent of all households are the truly poor. Really, I don’t want to tax them either to be honest with you, but it’s apparent we’re going to have to find a better way broadening the base of the tax system."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/orrin-hatch-tax-system_n_895186.html

[Avalux]

1. You know what's perverse Orrin? That corporations don't pay at all -

then get a nice fat check of our tax dollars as a reward. Find a better way to broaden the base of the tax system? How about these giant sucking behemoth companies pay their fair share??

:mad:

[blueclown]

2. Isn't that the Republican's goal? To lower the tax burden as much as possible?

Or at least I thought so. I guess they have a problem with a low tax burden when it doesn't involve the rich.

[LiberalFighter]

3. He should be asked how much of his income is not taxed.

I bet it is over $60k.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Dear Sen. Hatch:

If you would care to actually read some government figures you would find that at least 50% of all households in the United States of America make less than $60,000/year. These are official government figures from 2009.

[tcaudilllg]

5. Orrin Hatch is the devil.

[Prophet 451]

9. As a Satanist, I take offence at that n/t

[csziggy]

6. Willie Sutton said it when he explained why he robbed banks

"Because that is where the money is." And that is why the rich pay more taxes - they are the ones with the money.

[madamesilverspurs]

7. Mr. Hatch, like others of his class,

has tucked his head firmly into his wallet. He is thus protected from exercising the expensive habits of compassion and understanding.


-

[Art_from_Ark]

8. The poor already pay a bunch of taxes

Assholes like Hatch seem to think that the only taxes are Federal income taxes, but they conveniently overlook a slew of other taxes that take a big chunk out of small incomes, like property taxes, sales taxes, gas taxes, and state and local income taxes :mad:

[Prophet 451]

10. Fuck you, shitehawk

Dear Hatch,
Please die as soon as possible. Natural or suicide, I'm not fussy. Just make it SOON.
Yours,
The conscience you ejected sixty years ago.

[divvy]

11. Anal Hatch forgets basic math.

Spending a dollar is a pretty big deal when you only have $10. It is less of a big deal when you have $1,000. Now, a million is a thousand thousands. When a millionaire spends a dollar, it is 1/1000th the big deal than when the thousandaire spends it; he could spend a thousand every time the thousandaire spend a dollar.

Now, a billionaire has one thousand millions. For him, spending a million is similar to a thousandaire spending a dollar; he could spend a million every time the thousandaire spent a dollar.

If the thousandaire can afford to spend $100, then the Billionaire can afford to spend $100,000,000.00 Yep, that is $100 million.

[Golden Raisin]

12. Are there no prisons?

Are there no workhouses?

[TacoD]

13. Hatch is about to get primaried from the right

and he's doing his pathetic best to make inroads with the teabaggers.

[JHB]

14. "we’re going to have to find a better way broadening the base of the tax system"

Yeah, maybe we should add a tax on employee pay, no matter how low, to pay for entitlements like Social Security, Medicare. God knows how we manage to fund those things now!
:sarcasm:

Hatch is pulling the old "resenting the army of lazy bums on the dole" button. In the 80s they did it by railing about welfare programs but included SS and Medicare ("entitlements", you know) to make welfare look like a huge part of the budget. It worked: poll after poll showed people wildly overestimating how much was spent on aid to the poor.

Now it's another terminology shell game, this time on paying taxes. A lot of people in (or near) that 51% know damn well they pay taxes -- it's taken right out of their pay -- so that 51% must be someone else. Grease that resentment with "lubricants" like racism, sexism, class, etc., and their propaganda machine keeps a-hummin.