Update, Sept. 24: This article analyses Romney’s 2011 tax return and concludes that but for the sleight-of-hand, his tax rate would have been between 12% and 10%.
Original Post:
By now, most are probably well aware of Mitt Romney’s astounding statement about the 47% of the voters who support Barack Obama for reelection.
Here’s his quote:
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what.All right — there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing.”
Having long ago concluded that Romney is a duplicitous, say-anything-to-win politician (hardly unique, by the way) who doesn’t appear to have any core values except to shifting positions in order to win, yes, I will be voting for Obama, no matter what.
I have news for the governor: My wife and I:
- Are not dependent upon the government. I have my own business.
- Don’t believe we are victims.
- Don’t believe the government has a responsibility to care for us–yet. But when it comes time to collect Social Security, Medicare and maybe Medicaid–for which we’ve paid taxes our whole working lives–you bet, we expect to be able to tap these funds.
- We’re fortunate that we have our own house and can buy our own food.
- We’ve been paying for our own health care, an individual policy that has gone up generally 20%-30% per year (expletive to you, Regence Blue Shield) when the CPI index has consistently been below 5%.
- And, oh, by the way governor: We also pay taxes, at a tax rate higher than you paid in 2010. I bet our tax rate would be higher for the last 10 years–if you’d release your tax returns.
My 92-year old mother doesn’t pay income taxes, but according to you she is a freeloading moocher. Until March, she still lived in and paid for her own apartment. She now lives in a 24-hour healthcare facility, paying for her own room and board from her life-long savings and her Social Security earned from a lifetime of working. When the savings is gone, Medicaid will kick in–provided you aren’t elected and gut this program. She paid taxes that went toward Medicaid. Soon it will be time to benefit from it.
My 86-year old mother-in-law also doesn’t pay income taxes, so according to you she, too, is a freeloader. She has her own home, living off Social Security and her savings. Both use Medicare. Both have supplemental health insurance. Both get supplemental financial support from their children. But according to you, governor, they are dregs of society.
There was one Tweet that neatly sums you up, governor: You just tied 47% of us to the roof of your car.
Sammamish Comment 
The man really knows how to touch people…touching a nerve that is. Amazing display from a sneering plutocrat, not fit to govern people nor to own a dog.
And talk about clueless – two-thirds of those not paying income tax are the elderly like your mother and mother-in-law and most of the rest are military personnel and students. In total, only 6.9% Americans do not pay taxes, mainly those making less than $20,000 per year (i.e. below the poverty line) in addition to 7,000 MILLIONAIRES WHO PAID NO TAXES IN 2010. The top 10 States with the highest percentage of non-payers all happen to be red states too…but that fact will likely not make onto the reality-radar those folks deal with.
Now if only people will remember that their House of Representatives is run by people who have the same contempt for the average American that he does, then we’ll see some good things start to happen.
Right on, cityhamilton!!
Sorry Scott. I am cancelling your vote this time around. I supported and voted for Obama in 2008. I went to his inaugeration. I bought into change and the dream. But it was just that – – – a dream. Where is his pledge to do something about our immigration situation? He had a Democraticly controlled Congress his first two years in office, yet he failed to bring any bill before Congress to correct our insane situation with regard to immigration. Our debt has now soared to 16 TRILLION $$ and climbing!! Do you realize that put into one dollar bills this debt would stretch around the globe 60,000 times?? And don’t come back and blame our debt situation on the Republicans. It was during the Clinton administration that the final nail was driven into the coffin of the Glass-Siegal Act, which kept the commercial and investment banks separate and when removed, fueled the real estate bubble. Clinton signed the Glass-Seigal Act death warrant into law!! By not doing something about this ever increasing debt, we are totally disenfranchising our children and grandchildren and more. Federal spending and debt has to be brought under control. I am tired of the negative campaigning and untruths that Obama has heaped upon us in his thrust to win a second term in total difference to his promises four years ago.
I am all for ‘hope’ and a better future for all but if we are going to get there, we need a new direction. That new direction will not be delivered by President Obama and another Democratic administration. I am a former Obama zealot who has seen the
light and will now be voting for the Romney ticket.
Wally Pereyra