ROMNEY: Tax record honorable
In response to incessant harping from Sen. Reid and numerous other wealth-loathing Democrats, Mitt Romney has released his 2011 tax information and a summary of his taxes paid from 1990-2009. Much to the chagrin of those on the left, Romney does not appear to be the greedy tax-evading monster they made him out to be. Not only has he paid all of his taxes in the last 20 years, but he doesn’t even take all of the allowed deductions.
Over that 20-year period his average effective tax rate was more than 20 percent, certainly higher than the national average of 11 percent for all taxpayers. Just last year alone he did his part in lowering Obama’s national debt by paying more than $1.9 million in taxes. According to Joe Biden’s own convoluted thinking, Romney must be a true patriot! If Sen. Reid still wants to find people engaged in unscrupulous tax-evading behavior maybe he should look at those on his own side of the aisle. Tim Geithner and Rep. Rangel might be a good place to start.
Even more impressive than the millions of dollars Mitt has dutifully paid every year is the stunning amount of money this generous man has given to charity. Romney gave $2.25 million, amounting to nearly 30 percent of his income, to charity just last year. Over the last 20 years he gave an average of 13.45 percent, or millions of dollars, to charity.
Compare this to Obama who prior to becoming president gave little to charity, less than 1 percent of his income in 2000 and 2001, or Joe Biden who donated a whopping 1.5 percent of his income last year. Of course this isn’t surprising, Democrats are always more charitable with other people’s money than their own. But remember, according to an ophthalmologist here in town who loves to send letters to the editor, it is Romney who is the “tax-free loader with disdain for hard-working Americans.”
Even with this release of tax information the Democrats will undoubtedly find some other stupid reason to criticize Romney’s success. How soon before they call him dishonest for paying more taxes than he was required to?
The wealthiest 5 percent of Americans pay 58 percent of all the income taxes collected yet the Democrats still feel they are not paying their “fair share.” How did we get to the point in this country that we denigrate success? Shouldn’t hard work and personal achievement be admired? Instead of tearing down those who are fortunate, let’s create conditions that make it possible for all to achieve success similar to Romney. Instead of engaging in class warfare and redistributive policies to deal with the unprecedented number of food-stamp recipients under Obama and the record low percentage of adult males working in this country, we should be passing job growth policies to aid all those who want to improve their lives.
America has been drifting away from what made it great. Let’s get it going back in the right direction on Nov. 6.
CHAD SCAROLA
Coeur d’Alene