By karoli /Crooks and Liars / April 14, 2010
April 15th marks the first year of the Tea Party Tax Day protests, brought to you by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Rick “Let’s Have a Tea Party” Santelli. The original purpose was to protest “high taxes and big government”.
On Thursday, a reprise is scheduled to take place across the country, but I can’t help but wonder exactly what they’re protesting. This page lists the average tax cuts for the nation, and then breaks them down by state.
Overall, everyone got a little piece of the tax cut pie this year. In Arizona, home of newly-conservative John McCain and the even more conservative John Kyl, the average combined tax cut was -$1,023. In Oklahoma, that state threatening to declare war on overtaxation, the average tax cut was -$1,098. In Alaska, -$1,096.
98% of working families received a tax cut in this country. Ninety-eight percent. Every state’s average tax cut was similar. So tell me again: What is it they’re protesting?
98% of Families Getting A Tax Break in 2009
by mcjoan / Daily Kos / Apr 13, 2010
In time for tax day, Citizen for Tax Justice releases a new fact sheet [pdf] on your federal tax bill for 2009. It’s good news, for 98% of working families.
According to a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, the vast majority of Americans do not perceive that they have received a tax cut from President Obama. Asked if the President “has already raised taxes this past year,” 53 percent of those polled said that the President has “kept taxes the same,” and 24 percent think that the President has “raised taxes.” A mere 12 percent believe that the President has cut their taxes.
This is an astonishing level of misunderstanding. The truth is that the major tax cuts enacted in the 2009 economic stimulus bill actually reduced federal income taxes for tax year 2009 for 98 percent of all working families and individuals. These tax cuts saved working families and individuals an average of $1,158 on the tax returns they will file by April 15. (The median tax cut was approximately $600.) [emphasis in original]
An astonishing level of people believe any lie the Republican party tells them. A sizable chunk of them probably still believe that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Turning around the “tax and spend” stereotype for Democrats is going to take a long time to dislodge. Even more important to dislodge will be the persistent idea that taxes somehow aren’t critical to the functioning of government, of society.
At any rate, if you’ve been procrastinating on completing that return, get to it. You might very well have a better outcome than you’ve been expecting.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Yo! If you wear Teabags, the truth shall NEVER set you free, because: a) you make up your own facts to fit your twisted ideology, or b) you’re just to stupid to read with understanding, and comprehension or c) you’re just plain stupid.
i also think there is some plain ol’ manipulation by their leaders. mass movement leaders on the extreme right don’t care about the truth – take the “death panels” for instance; those politicians who espoused this “evil” knew damn well that they were misleading their flocks.
My partner is gonna run out and get some bumperstickers that say: “Obama just gave me a tax break!”