A New York Democrat tasked with introducing the Senate’s middle-class tax cut in the House said on CNN this morning that it’s a privilege to be rich in this country and pay back into the country’s development.
The Democratic tax cut proposal, which mirrors President Obama’s call for extending the Bush-era tax cuts on lower- and middle-income brackets only, passed the Senate last week 51-48. Republicans vowed to stop the tax hike by passing their own tax-cut extension this week while clearing numerous bills off the House calendar in the last week before the summer recess.
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) said the Senate Dems’ version has “a couple of Republican supporters as well.”
“It’s sending a message to the leadership of the Republican Party that if you are serious about getting a tax bill through before the end of the year, here are the parameters,” he said. “And it’s along the lines of what the president has been asking for that the wealthiest two percent among us pay a bit more to secure the country, make sure that we are able to pay our bills, make sure we are at a point we know that our deficit is growing exponentially so. If we don’t pass this bill, we’ll see an increase.”
While calling on Republicans to “compromise,” Crowley deflected a question about entitlement reform by saying that “Social Security is a jewel of this country, must be preserved and maintained.”
He charged that the Republican version would help millionaires at the expense of the middle class.
“To be a millionaire in this country, it is the greatest country the world has known. It’s a privilege. And I think most people get that,” Crowley said. “…You work hard, you get ahead, make a living and you contribute back to this country and make it a better country.”
Because employing people, providing others with goods and services, and paying your taxes isn’t enough “giving back”.
I never understood that “giving back” stuff. What, did I steal something? Rob covered rich (successfull) people succinctly above, but I’m adding all those others of us who earn a living, pay taxes, don’t break laws, atay true to friends and family, and treat people civilly and with consideration. Yet, even with all that, we’re told we must volunteer or save the planet, or somehow not be “selfish.” I mean, seriously, what? What is so “incomplete” or “bad” about leading the life I just described?
“Giving back” is a two-way street. As those who are digging in their pockets to pay taxes and/or give to charities for the poor, the poor (those that are physically able to do so) should be doing their best to get off the welfare doles and make something of themselves. Helping those who continue to perpetuate their dependency on government handouts should not be the intent of social programs.
I’ve begun to think of this whole “you didn’t earn that on your own” mentality in a different way. When you concern yourself with “charity” you end up expending monies that could have been used to support/petition your representatives. So while Obama and co are using our/their money to enrich their own lives, we are spending ours cleaning up the messes created by their policies, rather than building up opponents to help us get rid of them!
RP2012FTW!!!
-Oz
To be an AMERICAN is a privilege.
“You work hard, you get ahead, make a living and you contribute back to this country and make it a better country.” should apply to all Americans, not just the ‘wealthiest two percent’.
Working hard at making a living and getting ahead in the process IS “contributing.” One’s “contribution” is to be a productive citizen in a free society. That really is quite sufficient. As to the rest: the American character and society are such that giving to charity and community involvement is a very common practice.
How about this, Mister Crowley?
To receive the grace of your fellow countrymen as welfare checks and ATM cards, subsidized public housing, education, free cell phones, and all the rest, all those things have elevated the standard of living for the “poor” in this country higher than that of middle-class people in the rest of the world.
The cravens in the Democrat party are always happy to give to Paul the money they confiscated from Peter in taxes, in return for Paul’s vote.
Good post.
Instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul, how about letting Peter keep his money so he can expand his business and needs to hire Paul as a result of his success? That way nobody is robbed, and both are happy.
Does anyone remeber Deng Hsiao Ping saying “To be rich is glorious!”? That was the phrase that launched the Chinese economic miracle that so many Democrats seem to admire. And that’s a Communist country!
Why the Hell, then isn’t it OK in America to do and feel the same?
Our forebears rebelled not because they never had it so bad, but because they never had it so good, and wanted to keep it that way. In 1775, the American colonies had the largest equivalent of what we now call a middle class in the entire world. The were fighting to keep their freedom, which included economic liberty. That is not a heritage to be ashamed of, no matter what Howard Zinn and Matt Damon think.
These dimwits just don’t get it. At all. Hey it’s a privilege for everyone else who is employed by small business owners who risked everything to build a businsss. And they are carrying America. And this bozo dimwit should consider it a privilege that these people pay taxes so he has a job. And those taxes are not so he can be enriched or his confederates use to buy victims votes. What a freaking putz. How about being law abiding citizen as a payback for the privilege of living in freedom. You know, like those law abiding teens (black) that swarmed a retailer and stole a bunch of jeans. Those teens – not named as black teens due to the cowardice of CBS. Being a law abiding citizen and respecting others property and enriching others by hiring them is payback enough. What a bloody ignorant useless – that’s redundant, I should have just said Democrat/progressive/socialist – putz.
– pig at the trough.