The New York Times has recently released a poll of Tea Party supporters. Many of the answers were as expected but this one jumped out at me.
Do you regard the income tax that you paid this year as fair, or not.
52 percent said fair
42 percent said not fair
5 percent don't know
So, the movement that is rallying against taxes thinks that their taxes are fair?
This one also has me scratching my head.
Overall, do you think Social Security and Medicare are worth the cost to taxpayers?
62 percent said worth it
33 percent said not worth it
6 percent said don't know
Okay...um....WHAT???! These answers make no sense to me and so I ask my dear readers to enlighten me.
4 comments:
Many people who consider themselves to be Tea Party are older white males. Many are either on Medicare and Social Security (like my dad), or will soon be. Of course they think the government programs that benefit them are worth it. Who do you think has been yelling, "Keep government hands off my Medicare!"
The other interesting thing is that the rates at which many current recipients of Medicare and Social Security paid the majority of their taxes into the system was much lower than it is today: the withholding tax was 2% until 1977, when it was raised to 6.15%. Along the way the retirement age was reduced (though it has more recently been increased again for younger workers). At the same time the average monthly Social Security benefit has increased regularly with COLAs. The net result is that the number of workers supporting each SS recipient has decreased drastically.
So, guys like my dad spent the majority of their working lives paying into Social Security at the 2% withholding rate, and then retired at age 62 (with a reduced benefit). With the increased life expectancy of that generation, they will take out far more money from Social Security than they ever paid in (yes, even considering if they had the wherewithal to have invested that money in their retirement -- and it's highly unlikely they would have saved that money, considering that over the last 40 years we have been the least-taxed western economy, yet we have the lowest savings rate).
Not that I begrudge these people their benefits. It's simply disingenuous for them to oppose health care for the people who are supporting them. These days corporations are dropping coverage for employees and shifting more of the burden on to employees, and many small businesses don't provide any health care coverage at all.
Isn't it only fair that every working American who is paying for the medical care of retirees have access to that same medical care so that they can get back to work if they get sick?
I've been more under the impression that the Tea Party folks, despite the name, are more concerned about spending than taxes. The spark for these folks was the bailout - started under Bush and carried further by Obama. I mean really, is there anything more populist than protesting the bailout of Wall St fat cats?
Or maybe, just maybe, The NY Times managed to slip a little poll-aganda into your head. If it doesn't make any sense, then one of your premises is wrong. Exhibit A = thousands of people using their own time and money to spend a day protesting 'tax & spend' goverment debt. Exhibit B = a NYT poll. You make the call.
Wait! This question answers itself. Recent headlines say that 47% of all Americans don't pay any taxes. I guess I'd say that was about the right amount, if I was one of them.
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