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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMarco Rubio’s trickle-down nonsense: Tax cuts for the rich make sense because his father...
Marco Rubios trickle-down nonsense: Tax cuts for the rich make sense because his father was a bartender!His tax plan will make the rich richer and worsen inequality, but his dad was working-class so it's okay
SIMON MALOY
If youve paid any attention to Marco Rubio at any point over the past five years, then chances are pretty good that you know that his father worked as a bartender. Its a biographical detail that Rubio slips in pretty much every time he utters a word in public. He mentioned it in his 2013 State of the Union response, his speech announcing his 2016 candidacy, and his closing remarks at the first GOP debate. Rubios frequent retellings of parents stories (the non-exaggerated parts, anyway) are an integral part of his everyman appeal as Rubio himself put it on the debate stage, the journey from the back of that bar to this stage tonight, to me, that is the essence of the American dream.
And, conveniently enough, it turns out that Rubios fathers humble employment story can also be used to justify his wildly regressive tax policies.
Rubio sat down with CNBCs John Harwood, who asked the senator to explain how his identification with and professed concern for the middle class square with his tax plan, which showers the wealthy with tax cuts beyond their wildest dreams. It all makes sense, Rubio says, because his father was a bartender:
HARWOOD: You said in the debate the other day that you can compete toe-to-toe with Hillary Clinton on people who live paycheck to paycheck because you lived paycheck to paycheck. How do you think people who are living paycheck to paycheck will receive the news that your tax plan eliminates taxes on estates, capital gains and dividends?
RUBIO: Well, first of all, capital gains and dividends is investment. That means someone is taking money they have access to and investing it in something. Thats how jobs are created.
My father had a job as a bartender at a hotel. And the reason why he had a job as a bartender is because someone who had money invested in that hotel. Invested in building it, invested in expanding it, invested in modernizing it so people would keep coming back. And thats why people visited that hotel. Thats why my dad had a salary, and thats why he had tips.
more
http://www.salon.com/2015/08/27/marco_rubios_trickle_down_nonsense_tax_cuts_for_the_rich_make_sense_because_his_father_was_a_bartender/
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Marco Rubio’s trickle-down nonsense: Tax cuts for the rich make sense because his father... (Original Post)
DonViejo
Aug 2015
OP
I've never made it past 3 minutes of the guy. He really doesn't seem to be too smart.
Frustratedlady
Aug 2015
#3
n2doc
(47,953 posts)1. I am guessing his dad ran the bar during a time of high tax rates
Like in the 70's, with a 70% top income tax rate. And that the hotel was started during that time, or before when rates were even higher.
Tool.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)2. I'm betting he didn't claim his cash tips either.
So, Marco Rubio's father was most likely guilty of tax fraud.
wilt the stilt
(4,528 posts)6. I can guarantee
you he didn't claim his tips. No one did back then and if you leave a cash tip today the server or any tipped employee is not claiming their tips.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)3. I've never made it past 3 minutes of the guy. He really doesn't seem to be too smart.
Jeb would probably hate to see him drop out, as he makes Jeb look a little smarter...a little.
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)4. Rubio is the court jester among this crop of wannabes.
Everyone but him seems to know he hasn't the slightest
chance. It's all he can do to avoid embarrassing himself.
No one takes him seriously.
pampango
(24,692 posts)5. Is it policy by anecdote or just using anecdotes to justify a policy enriching the 1%.
I suspect it is the latter.