Ghost Of Mitt Romney Past Visits GOP Candidate

"On Wednesday, as Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Beauprez toured Colorado to "build unity," a video surfaced that Democrats say shows his divisiveness.
peech to the Denver Rotary Club in 2010 making comments that echo those that hurt Mitt Romney's challenge to President Barack Obama two years later.

"I see something that frankly doesn't surprise me, having been on Ways and Means Committee: 47 percent of all Americans pay no federal income tax," Beauprez said in the video."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here from Joey Bunch and Kurtis Lee / The Denver Post:

[AbnormalWrench]

Only two states tax food at the same tax rate as non-food items, Mississippi and Louisiana.

[JimTLonW]

The Conservative party in the UK espoused a similar sort of policy with regard to local taxation; they convinced themselves that a lot of people didn't pay local taxes but voted for high spending (which in the UK means Labour) politicians. So they introduced a flat rate tax whereby EVERYBODY paid the same amount, so people who'd been paying £100 suddenly found themselves paying £350 while people in large houses who'd been paying £500 also found themselves paying £350; in both cases these were totally irrespective of income. The results were interesting, a lot of people disappeared off the voting lists, there were massive protests all across Great Britain, culminating in a riot in the middle of London; like this is England, we don't do riots! Suddenly Conservative MP's became very concerned as to their seats, and this, along with other questions, was one of the causes of the downfall of the then Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher. The tax was hastily modified into the form it has today, which reflects the value of the property that someone occupies, and gives discounts for various groups.
I'd say the Republicans could be playing with fire if they go along with the sorts of arguments we've heard here, but then they seem to be playing with fire pretty much already...

[TheNavigateur]

The rich live OFF the work of the poor, but it's nice that they know how to talk in reverse for propaganda purposes.

[Brimar]

You can't pay income tax, if you don't have an income.
Jobs, bro!

[jannorman]

This most horrible part of this is the disdain that they have for the people that they are supposed to represent.

[dangerouslytalented]

That 47% includes: Babies, children, housewives, students, those of low incomes, retirees, pensioners, and the ultrarich like Rmoney.

[Shippoyasha]

I think Cenk must have hopped up and down with joy when he had a real Bob to reference to.

[josh_m]

Well, none of us should be paying income tax...

[wemetee]

Ah man, I thought this was going to be a funny spoof on Mitt Romney's ghost visiting a candidate. 

[TAB]

OMG if someone came to me and said you no longer have to pay federal income tax, state income tax, city tax, business and property tax, sales tax, county tax, wheel tax, tax on utilities and car license tax, at 18k/yr before taxes I'be be jumping for joy!!! 

[NothingIsKnown]

So the strategy is:
1) Buy off politicians to give you all the advantages so that all economic growth goes to the wealthiest.
2) Now that there is a huge number people who are so poor that they don't pay federal income tax, we USE that fact to say that the system is rigged against the rich.
3) Buy off more politicians to re-distribute costs to the poorer people and distribute even MORE wealth to the wealthiest. 

[nicolassalazar]

Thanks for setting the record straight Cenk. Man that burns me up when the rich say the poor don't pay for shit!

[syncreticviews]

Get rid of free trade and outsourcing and that 47% would go down to a single digit number 

[BrotherAlpha]

Even federally, most people who don't pay federal income tax pay payroll tax. Of those who don't pay either, the majority are students, elderly, or in the military on a tour of duty.

[trixie]

The 47% are not paying property taxes.

[evollove]

I don't get it, . loaf of bread has no tax, .. no food at the supermarket has taxes, . and even less to worry bout if you have food stamps.. did I miss something?

[artildawn]

Cenk, you missed an even more critical element; most of that 47% files federal taxes, but under the tax laws their incomes are so low they end up not owing after various deductions are applied.  So it's incorrect to say they don't "pay". They do, they just get it back after filing for a zero sum net tax.
 

[Nashataku]

This is very true for most states, but most people will never notice unless they have a few close friends in different tax brackets that would be willing to compare their checks... well especially in my "republican" state. Take 2 people, who file as primary, with one who is a television installer, and the other is a wal-mart employee, who both have 3 kids and spouse. Most likely the installer is paying more in fed tax and less in state, while the other is most likely hardly paying anything in federal, but way more in state. I never understood why its like that, but that is factual.

[magister]

Sales taxes are regressive. Property taxes are progressive. Land Value Taxes are especially progressive.

[homer]

If wealthy individuals and business owners are not bums, then why do they fight to get government handouts (subsidies)?