Romney and Taxes

Mitt Romney gave a revealing quote when addressing the fact that his effective tax rate is dramatically lower that most Americans. Explaining that he paid his taxes according to the law, he said, “The American people don’t want as their president someone who pays more than they owe in taxes.”

They don’t? Why not? Is it some kind of moral or intellectual failure to pay anything but the minimum possible amount in taxes? Apparently, for him and his ilk, it is their patriotic duty to put their money in the Cayman Islands because to pay more than you need to in taxes reflects badly on you in some way.

It shows how deeply the anti-government strain runs in the Republican mind. Remember Kennedy’s famous call to action? “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” It motivated a generation of public spirited young people. It inspired the Peace Corps. Seems kind of quaint now. Certainly, among Republicans, it’s an apostasy. I remember in the last campaign when Joe Biden said it was patriotic to pay taxes, he was ridiculed by Republicans.

So, Mitt Romney just takes for granted that Americans would think less of him if he didn’t contribute as little as possible to the government formed by the divinely inspired Constitution.

The sad part is that he may be right.

Category: Politics, republicans