"Tax Debate Omits Important Statistics"
USA Today, June 11, 2003
By Terry Paulson, PhD

America is really in trouble when even Republicans are bragging about how many Americans now pay NO TAXES. I am embarrassed by the Senate's vote of 94-2 to extend tax credits to 6.5 low income families who pay no income tax. Only two had the guts to see it for what it is--a $400 welfare check. We never learn! Everyone supports creating a safety net for the truly poor, but most of our poor are the developing world's rich. Thirty years of welfare proved that the war on poverty just created more poverty. The USA Today editorial page graph on "Who gets the breaks" leaves out some very important facts. Yes, 54% of tax filers only get 5% of the tax cuts, but you forgot to show that they PAY ONLY 5% of the income taxes. You proudly show that 8.5% of the tax filers get a combined 58% of the cuts, but you did not show what percentage of income taxes they pay. Senator Don Nichols accurately points out that THE TOP 5% alone pay MORE THAN HALF of the income taxes. They get the lion's share of the tax cut because they pay most of the taxes. The Democratic election strategy is clear; make sure at least 51% pay no taxes so they can elect those who can make sure the other 49% pay all the bills! Americans, do you want handouts taken from the taxes of others or do you want a better job and the freedom to start your own company to live your own American Dream? Those rich people Democrats love to abuse are the ones who give the most to charity, create the companies that generate the majority of jobs, and pay most of the bill for government services. Coveting what others have earned used to be sin; now it is a way of life for far too many Americans. The charity of the poor ought to be to wish the rich well because of all they do!