February 6, 2012--Romney's Safety Net
During the run-up to Saturday's Nevada caucus, a day after his big win in Florida, Romney stepped in it. Again.
While trying--again--to convince middle-class voters that he cares about them, really cares about them, quarter-billionaire Romney, just before being endorsed by real-billionaire Donald Trump, uttered his now viral "I'm-not-concerned-about-the-very-poor" remarks.
To assure any of the very poor who might have been paying attention (most, I'm sure he agrees with Newt, were probably too busy buying gourmet foods with their food stamps) he explained that he doesn't have to care about them because they have a safety net. Further, if more assurance was necessary, he promised that if there are holes in it he'd fix them.
Even putting these comments back in their full context, since he has a propensity to make faux pas of this kind, a picture of Romney has come into focus--the uncaring, out-of-touch rich guy.
That's the impression most American's have of him. But if you are inclined to want to assess candidates more with facts than feelings, take a look at what the safety net would look like in the unlikely event that we were so gullible as to believe him (or hate Obama so much) to elect Romney president.
In regard to tax policy, according to the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, Romney's tax plan, if implemented, would increase after-tax income for those making more than $1.0 million per year by 14.5 percent while increasing after-tax income for those making between $30,000 and $40,000 by just 3 percent while those making less than $20,000 per year would see their tax burden decrease by less than 1.0 percent.
These almost inconsequential tax cuts for the lower middle class could be rationalized if Romney's budget proposals were generous toward lower-income people--those who have a safety net already or a net with a few holes that Romney said he would mend.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-profit think tank that describes itself as a "policy organization . . . working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals," a detailed analysis of Romney's budget proposals points out that what his cuts would do are more severe than those contained in the draconian budget proposed by Paul Ryan and unanimously approved by all Republican members of the House of Representatives.
The CBPP writes--
The Center report continues--
The very same people Mitt Romney revealed he is "not concerned about" and whose safety net he would fix, if needed.
While trying--again--to convince middle-class voters that he cares about them, really cares about them, quarter-billionaire Romney, just before being endorsed by real-billionaire Donald Trump, uttered his now viral "I'm-not-concerned-about-the-very-poor" remarks.
To assure any of the very poor who might have been paying attention (most, I'm sure he agrees with Newt, were probably too busy buying gourmet foods with their food stamps) he explained that he doesn't have to care about them because they have a safety net. Further, if more assurance was necessary, he promised that if there are holes in it he'd fix them.
Even putting these comments back in their full context, since he has a propensity to make faux pas of this kind, a picture of Romney has come into focus--the uncaring, out-of-touch rich guy.
That's the impression most American's have of him. But if you are inclined to want to assess candidates more with facts than feelings, take a look at what the safety net would look like in the unlikely event that we were so gullible as to believe him (or hate Obama so much) to elect Romney president.
In regard to tax policy, according to the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, Romney's tax plan, if implemented, would increase after-tax income for those making more than $1.0 million per year by 14.5 percent while increasing after-tax income for those making between $30,000 and $40,000 by just 3 percent while those making less than $20,000 per year would see their tax burden decrease by less than 1.0 percent.
These almost inconsequential tax cuts for the lower middle class could be rationalized if Romney's budget proposals were generous toward lower-income people--those who have a safety net already or a net with a few holes that Romney said he would mend.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-profit think tank that describes itself as a "policy organization . . . working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals," a detailed analysis of Romney's budget proposals points out that what his cuts would do are more severe than those contained in the draconian budget proposed by Paul Ryan and unanimously approved by all Republican members of the House of Representatives.
The CBPP writes--
Governor Romney's budget proposals would require far deeper cuts in non-defense programs than the House-passed budget resolution authored by representative Paul Ryan: $94 billion to $219 billion deeper in 2016 and $303 billion to $819 billion deeper in 2021.
The Center report continues--
The Romney plan would throw 10 million low-income people off the benefit rolls, cut benefits by thousands of dollars a year [per family], or some combination of the two. These cuts would affect very-low-income families with children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
The very same people Mitt Romney revealed he is "not concerned about" and whose safety net he would fix, if needed.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
5:15 AM
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