Fox News Expands Its War Against The Poor To Include Middle Class Tax Cuts
Reported by Ellen - June 28, 2010 -
Co-authored by Brian
We’ve long noted Fox News’ war against the poor. Now, the “we like America” network seems to have widened the battle to include the middle class. On Saturday (6/26/10), a Fox News Alert began the "business show" Cashin' In with the news that 40% of Americans don’t pay income taxes and get federal refunds. Host Cheryl Casone “asked,” “This has someone here saying, ‘enough is enough!’ You want America’s debt mess cleaned up? It’s time for all Americans to pay up.” Several regulars not only argued that middle class tax cuts should be abolished for the sake of the deficit but that they were not deserved in the first place.
Casone began by asking regular Jonathan Hoenig, obviously the "enough is enough" guy, the leading question, “Did we just find a way to solve America’s debt crisis, do you think?”
Hoenig didn't think it was fair that 70% of taxes are paid by “so few.” He added, “We need to not only stop the spending, stop the entitlements, but get rid of this progressive, Marxist notion from each according to his ability, to each according to his need, and spend now because don't worry, some rich guys down the hill will pick up the tab for the rest of us. That's what needs to end."
Christian Dorsey, Economic Policy Institute, a News Hounds Top Dog, pointed out that those 40% are paying taxes, just not federal income taxes. “When you factor in their local taxes, as well as their state taxes, you find that the poorest 90% are paying almost the same share of income taxes, total taxes as the upper 1%," he said.
Hoenig sneered, "They're nowhere near as productive. You give all the freebies back to people who aren't tremendously productive to society, and then every opportunity, tear down the most productive people."
Jonas Max Ferris was a little more charitable with his characterizations, but not the tax cuts. "There's a couple of unproductive rich people too out there, I think… That Bush tax cut was unaffordable.” He said it should have been reversed and that “it needs to go away for everbody.”
Casone asked another leading, anti-middle-class-tax-cut question. “What all of this data basically shows us is that we have an opportunity here as a country to change the tax code… and get this country out of debt. Why don’t we take it?”
Regulars Wayne Rogers and Tracy Byrnes called for getting rid of the income tax altogether and instituting a national sales tax – which Casone failed to note is a regressive tax that disproportionately affects the poor.
Dorsey said, "Let's talk in real terms. Someone in the upper 1% making $1.6 million in income, they’re paying about $500,000 in taxes. Someone making $50,000 a year is paying about $12,000 in taxes. So who would you rather be? What's unfair about the tax code as it is now?"
Now that a liberal was talking Casone was willing to jump in and challenge the guest. She said that what’s unfair is, “47% ended up paying nothing.”
Rogers, almost shouted with excitement as he said, “Christian, I’ll tell you what’s unfair about it. Those people who are making that big amount of money are the people who are contributing to the capital. That’s what’s unfair about it. You are taxing capital.”
Ferris said, "The middle class people don't pay any tax. The $50,000 home, with the home deduction, and the kid deduction. and this deduction…The middle class family with kids is getting a free ride by the system. Their rate needs to go up."
