by Phyllis Schlafly
The tremendous spending programs demanded by Barack Obama and voted into law by an obedient Democratic Congress have divided America into two classes: those who pay for the services provided by government and the freeloaders. Half of Americans, 47%, pay no federal income tax at all. That isn’t the worst of it. Most of the half of Americans who pay no income tax actually receive handouts of cash or financial benefits paid for by those who do pay income taxes.
These outright cash handouts include the Earned Income Tax Credit, which can amount to more than $5,000 a year. Other financial benefits can include child tax credits, welfare, food stamps, Women, Infants, and Children handouts, housing subsidies, unemployment benefits, and Medicaid. This massive transfer of wealth is based on a soak-the-rich racket. The top 10% of Americans pay three-fourths of the income taxes collected by the federal government. Based on Congressional Budget Office figures, taxes to pay for Obama’s Health Control Law will have to skyrocket to an 88% income tax rate within the next few years.
Although all wage-earners help fund their own Social Security and Medicare benefits, only federal income taxpayers pay the costs of running the federal government, and are responsible for paying off our $12.8 trillion national debt.
When Obama told Joe the Plumber he wanted to “spread the wealth around,” Obama wasn’t kidding. That’s exactly what he is now doing: taking money from taxpayers and spreading it around to non-taxpayers. Nor was Obama kidding when, on the eve of his election, he threatened, “We are going to fundamentally transform the United States of America.” Converting the earnings of American workers into handouts for those who voted for Obama in 2008 is certainly a fundamental transformation.
The Moral Liberal contributing editor Phyllis Schlafly is founder and president of Eagle Forum, a syndicated columnist, bestselling author and radio show host.
Used with the permission of Eagle Forum.
