Eric (Red State) Erickson's 53%ers

Eric (teabagger) Erickson has come up with the 53% in response to the Wall Street protesters 99%.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/10/05/the-occupy-wall-street-fools/
(Oh and Gingrich's wife is selling her childrens book here too. Those two could REALLY use the extra money!)

The 53% being those that 'pay taxes'.

Frist of all, 'Important to also note that federal income taxes only make up 22% of all the taxes paid in this country'.
From : http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-are-47.html

So the people who DO pay federal Income taxes, account for only 22% of ALL taxes paid.
Some more take aways from the article :

'Have you been wondering who those lazy 47%ers who refuse to pay their fair share of income taxes are?You know, the ones who need to kick in so that the millionaire jahbcreaters don't have to'?
'The zero-tax filers will be largely low-income. Indeed, 75 percent of them will earn less than $20,000 per year and 97 percent will earn less than $40,000'.

'Zero-tax filers will be overwhelmingly young. Looking at the age of the primary breadwinner on these tax returns, only 22 percent are 45 years old or older. More than one-third (36 percent) are younger than age 25, and 56 percent are younger than age 35'.

'In general, then, those who don’t pay federal income taxes tend to be young families with children, often headed by a single mother, where the head of household has a job and is trying to make ends meet on a modest income'.

'Those are the lazy pieces of garbage who refuse to make pay more in taxes so that Paris Hilton doesn't have to. Single mothers. Young people. Families making less than $20, 000 a year. That's who the burden should fall upon. They are losers who must pay'.

'About 46 percent of American households will pay no federal individual income tax in 2011, roughly half of them because of structural features of the income tax that provide basic exemptions for subsistence level income and for dependents'.

'In 1997, Congress enacted a new $500 per-child tax credit and expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low-income workers. The 2003 tax cuts increased the value of the child credit to $1,000. These two tax credits – especially the child credit – have had a powerful effect on reducing, and many cases eliminating, the income tax liability for millions of Americans. Of the 44 million tax returns that pay no income taxes, 34 percent claim the EITC and 50 percent claim the child credit. Tax Foundation economists estimate that the expanded child credit alone knocked 5.8 million families with children off the tax rolls'.

The One Hundred Fifth United States Congress met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 1999. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

So when the Republicans yell, scream and BLAME the poor for NOT paying taxes, the Republicans held the majority in Congress when it was passed.

Now that we really know where that particular item came from, what do we do?

We have a 'spending problem', as almost every Republican will point out (in part caused by the Republican controlled Congress extending and increasing the EITC), 'caused' by lowering taxes, creating massive loopholes and a Global recession.

The question then becomes what kind of a Country do we want?

One where the wealthy live protected lives and status? Where their protection and status is paid for by the middle class and poor?

Or do we live in a Country where we understand that those who have, need to help 'pay it forward' more then those who don't have.

If they don't want to 'pay it forward', then eventually and sooner then later, there won't be anything for either classes.