11 years ago eliminating income taxes for low-income Americans was an applause line for GOP and now GOP calls them moochers
Romney’s 47% Comments Distance Him From Bush-Era Republicans
Richard Rubin, ©2012 Bloomberg News
Published 10:17 p.m., Tuesday, September 18, 2012Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) — Eleven years ago, eliminating income taxes for low-income Americans was an applause line for a Republican president. Mitt Romney in 2012 sees the number of people paying nothing as a political problem.
The Republican presidential candidate’s comments that 47 percent of Americans don’t pay income taxes and see themselves as ‘victims’ dependent on the government signifies a shift in the party’s thinking. Republicans backed refundable tax credits and expanded entitlement programs under George W. Bush. Now they want to curtail entitlements and require more people to pay taxes.‘The working people who don’t pay income tax, that is by and large the result of Republican policies,’ said Michael Linden, director of tax and budget policy at the Center for American Progress, a Washington group aligned with Democrats. He said he didn’t ‘understand why they’re not trumpeting this.’
Romney’s comments, made at a private fundraising event in May and distributed by Mother Jones magazine Sept. 17, reignited a debate over how progressive the tax code should be and how those who don’t pay taxes view their connection to the government. Romney said in the video that he couldn’t attract votes from people who depend on government or persuade them to ‘take personal responsibility’ for their lives.Read more: sfgate.com