Debunking Romney's attack on Americans who don't pay income taxes
By now, most Americans who take their civic responsibilities seriously have no doubt seen, or at least heard about, Mitt Romney's peculiar approach to broad-based voter outreach.
We're referring, of course, to his videotaped fundraising speech in Florida, in which he characterizes 47% of the American public as people who are "dependent on the government," who "pay no income tax" and who can't be convinced to "take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
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So let's examine Romney's numbers and their significance.
The key number he cited is that 47% of Americans "pay no income tax." The statistic is true as far as it goes, but it doesn't come close to reaching the finish line. In fact, its shock value derives from the legerdemain of focusing solely on the federal income tax. This misleads Romney and his audience into thinking that the group in question is mostly people on a lifelong dole.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20120919,0,2408537.column
http://www.trbimg.com/img-5059210d/turbine/la-fi-hiltzik-20120918-g/950