Myth: President Bush's Tax Cuts Benefit America's Middle Class

None of it affects me directly...I'm low class! I be po'...and have enough to make ends meet and get by.

Bush just uses the presidency to further enrich his coporate buddies, he has no clue what its like to struggle w/ the issues of the middle, working class; or poor people. I will be so glad when he's out of office, I'm tempted to have a party LOL

rich get richer and the rest of us oh well you know.....................

Remember the Democrats wanted to change the tax cuts to aid the middle and lower class, and use it to prove that it does not work. Bush's tax cuts were designed to create more jobs by targetting the smaller businesses, and that it has worked. There are more people working now, not more people making more money from taxes. That it benefitted the middle and lower classes in any way was only because they use the same tax forms, but unless you can submit more deductions like a small business, then you are not likely to see more. This is how smaller businesses can afford to hire more people and upgrade their businesses more, thus helping keep others working.
The Democrats wanted to have it changed so it would not effect jobs, but people, and if there were no more jobs created, this really would not help anyone.

Tax cuts, sold as appealing to all voters, are always (always, in all cases) about helping the rich at the expense of the poor.

Government uses tax dollars to provide services mostly used by the poor and middle class, programs such as public education. The rich don't need these programs, they can afford and prefer to send their children to private schools. Cutting taxes impoverishes the programs that the poor and middle class can use to their advantage and help their next generation enrich themselves.

The benefits always go to the rich. Why do you think they give big donations to politicians? Let's face it, these people got rich by knowing how to get value for money. They donate to politicians fully expecting a good return on the dollar.

Excellent point, Lori.

You're right on, Rory. It's all about moving wealth around, re-distributing it from the middle class to the rich until there no longer is a middle class. Heck. We even pay taxes on our own labor. That's why I don't trust politicians any more, (except for Ron Paul) because they are all to frigging filthy rich. They don't have a clue.

Olga I am afraid the redistribution goes to the poor. The fact is tax cuts to a lot of rich people is put right back into the system to provide benefits to all of us. Buisnesses reinvest money to expand or go into new buisnesses creating more jobs and a better economy. I do believe we should help the middle classes by providing more tax relief for them. We should be reducing a bloated government that wastes too much of our hard earned money. Just elimiating congressional earmarks could give us all a decent sized rebate check.

ModernDay Publius: Many of the rich "spend" their tax cuts on foreign investment, opening businesses overseas or depositing their money in tax protected foreign banks. How does this go right back into the system.

This is trickle-down economic theory. The best analogy for it, since it relies on the imagery of running water for its very name, is as follows: if we were all stuck on a desert island with a limited fresh water supply the best use of that water is to give it all to the rich; eventually they will drink their fill and urinate on everyone else, and then we'll get some too.

Ridiculous.

I received a few tax cuts over the years but am willing to pay it all back for a society that treats everyone equally. It enhances my lifestyle to have everyone taken care of and I wonder about those who don't understand this.

Joe-

I understand helping people and make volunteer plenty of my time and give a lot to charity, but have problems with the government should take care of everything just give them money. Plenty of government waste exists that should be elimated that would give more money for better programs

I agree that there is waste but an example would be health care for all children. This would benefit my life greatly because I would be at peace knowing that the children in my country are taken care of. It takes a real boob to criticize such a program.

We provide it for those that cant afford it through S-Chip

Rory,

Your analogy bear little revlevance to the system. You looked at my one point and drove right by the other one. Tax cuts should help give everyone more money. Some money does go oversea but a lot stays here at home also. I am not against giving everyone more in tax cuts we just need to eliminate waste like congressional earmarks

I'm with Carol, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the middle class disappears.

Modern,

If the the corporations and wealthy that benefit from the tax cuts re-invest their money why are our refineries in such bad shape while the oil industry and its stockholders enjoy record profits? I suspect this is not the only example I could come up with if I did a little research but it is the one that most readily comes to mind.

We are getting more into an either or society. You are either rich or poor and there is no middle class.

Yes Brian, the group once known as middle class has all but disappeared.

I hardly made anything this year and hardly got a refund :|

Tax cuts? Why tax cuts? The deficit is still huge, and the debt still unmanageable. Worrying about who gets the tax cuts is like worrying about the arrangement of the chairs on the Titanic.

1. Most benefits of taxes, particularly Federal taxes, go to the rich. No schools, few roads, but a lot of lucrative contracts for what have you.

2. Every dollar borrowed will have to be paid off many times over. Lower taxes today, higher taxes tomorrow. If I borrow money, eventually I have to pay it off, or else continue to pay interest on it forever.

3. When has tax cuts stimulated the economy? Whether the money is removed from the economy via taxes or via borrowing is irrelevant, it is still removed. The economic effect is the same, except if its borrowed you have to pay interest.

If you want lower taxes, call for a smaller government, that would stimulate business more than anything else.

One theory that I've never thought made any sense is that taking money away from the government (by cutting taxes) stimulates the economy.

What a lot of horse hooey!

What do you think the government is doing with the money? They don't just store it away in Fort Knox nor do they waste it all.

They spend it providing programs that enrich the lives of citizens. They improve the health of the community. They improve the infrastructure needed for people and business to go about their daily routines. They pay employees salaries and those employees in turn spend money buying goods and services and pay some of it back into the general pool as taxes. Government spending DOES STIMULATE THE ECONOMY.

A country that is mired in debt and running a huge deficit every year has no business cutting anyone's taxes. Pay your bills first, once that is done you can think about paying yourselves and how to do that (but tax CUTS are NOT the only way to pay yourselves).

Yes.... I get butt raped in taxes! For lack of a better word!

Class envy rears its ugly head again.

not surprised. shrub can babble all he likes about the middle class...everything he does helps the rich folks the most of all.