In promoting the so-called Buffett Rule, President Obama invoked
President Reagan using a quote from a speech the Gipper gave in
June 1985 at Northside High School in Atlanta, Georgia in which he
said it was
“crazy” for a bus driver to be paying more than taxes than a
millionaire. Obama
described Reagan as “a wild-eyed, socialist, tax-hiking class
warrior.”
But Mark Levin points out that
this is nothing more than yet another straw man argument. Who in
the Republican Party is advocating that millionaires pay less than
non-millionaires?
Needless to say, Obama characterizing Reagan as “a wild-eyed,
socialist, tax-hiking class warrior” is utterly disingenuous if one
actually reads the speech
in its entirety:
And, as you know, that last week I unveiled our proposal to make
the Federal tax system fairer, clearer, and less burdensome for all
Americans. Now, someone might say it’s odd to talk about tax policy
with young people in their teens. But I don’t think so. You not
only understand what taxes are, what effect they have in the
average person’s life, but if you don’t understand, you will pretty
soon when you get your first job. I know some of you already have
part-time jobs, and I know you keep your eye on the part of the
check that shows what Uncle Sam is taking out.
What we’re trying to do is change some of those numbers. We want
the part of your check that shows Federal withholding to have fewer
digits on it. And we want the part that shows your salary to have
more digits on it. We’re trying to take less money from you and
less from your parents.
And whatever you and they do with this additional money will not
only help you, it will help the whole country by making our entire
economy stronger. Maybe you’ll take some of the money and put it in
the bank. Fine. You’ll earn interest on your savings, and you’ll
also make more money available for others to borrow, to expand
their business, or improve their home. Maybe you’ll spend it. And
that’s fine, too, although I hope you don’t spend it all. But what
you spend will increase demand for various products. And that will
help create jobs. But whatever you do with it, you’ll be the one
who’s doing the doing. You’ll make the decisions. You’ll have the
autonomy. And that’s what freedom is.
When taxes are lowered, economic growth follows. And economic
growth is good for just about everyone, especially the poor. It
gives them a ladder they can use to climb out of poverty. And for
those who aren’t poor, but who are by no means rich — and that’s
most of the people in America — economic growth gives them options
they never had before. When you and your parents and friends are
allowed to keep more of the fruits of your labors, a whole new
world of options will open up for you.
You’ll be better situated to pay for college. You’ll be able to
save and pool your money with friends and maybe even start a small
local business. I knew a fellow who once bought into a little
hamburger stand out west. He was just a regular guy, but he worked
hard and advertised, and the little stand prospered. You may
have heard of it. It’s called McDonald’s. I was thinking about
Ray Kroc recently and how the jingle that he uses applies to our
tax program: ‘You deserve a break today.’ And tomorrow, too, and
for the rest of your life.
Well, I doubt President Obama would ever invoke McDonald’s in a
positive light as it’s being turned into
public enemy number one much less the phrase “when taxes
are lowered, economic growth follows” traverse his lips. If
Obamacare is implemented the federal government will be taking a
lot a more money and autonomy. We won’t be the ones who are “doing
the doing.”
