It's true 47 percent pay no federal income tax but they still pay payroll tax and sales tax. Only around 18 percent pay no taxes at all (besides sales tax) .

People who blindly follow what someone else says annoy the hell out of me.

Is there some truth to what Anthony says? Yes. Is it based on an understanding of tax law and economics? No.

It's an oversimplification of a complex issue done solely to affect an emotional response, not an educated response. Both sides are guilty of doing this. And they do this with virtually every political issue.

I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of people in this country (and O&A listeners) have no clue what they pay in income taxes. Yet here we are telling each other that some other group isn't paying enough.

This is such a misleading fact. Sure the top 50% might pay 98% of taxes. But how much of the country's income does that top 50% earn? FAR more than 50% (maybe not as high as 98%, but still).

Another bullshit thing that Ant and Jimmy harp on that makes no sense - you shouldn't be taxed on capital gains? Then you also shouldn't get a tax break for investments that lose money. Capital gains are income, and they're already taxed lower than the top tax bracket. I don't understand why they see this as something that should be exempt from taxes.

EDIT: According to this, the top 50% make 87.25% of the income in this country (http://www.financialsamurai.com/2011/04/12/how-much-money-do-the-top-income-earners-make-percent/). So there is a 10% disparity.

Communist China has a 0% tax rate on capital gains. Low tax rates on capital gains incentivize investment.

Yeah their economy is doing real well now.

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http://www.heritage.org/federalbudget/top10-percent-income-earners

It's 100% true. 53% of people pay federal income taxes, 47% don't. As Romney said.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/10/07/the-53-want-the-99-to-learn-from-their-example/#

53% of people pay federal income taxes, 47% don't. As Romney said.

The problem is that people hear this snippet of information from people like you and Anthony and walk away saying, "DUURR HURR NIGGERS LIVE TAX FREE."

As if those 47% don't pay a sizeable portion of their income in excise, payroll, property, sales and state incomes taxes.

Also people walk away saying that Obama is giving the poor tax breaks to vote for him when they were actually written by Reagan and Bush II.

You can further break it down to the geography of the "47 percent" and they are in the south. Yes, southern poors tend to vote democratic but with the electoral college that doesn't help presidential politics.

Also 10 percent of the "18 percent" that pay no taxes besides sales tax are elderly who tend to vote republican. Also they are retired old people.

To sum up, it's a retarded political response to the income inequality movement and if you hear "47 percent" and think "fucking Obama" you are the useful idiot that they look for.

Southern old republicans don't pay taxes. And bitch about us northern liberals not paying taxes. Die.

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Lol white guilt much?

You're an idiot.

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I fucking hate politics btw. I've unfollowed everyone on twitter that speaks anything about politics with the exception of Anthony. I only read the sports page because everything else in the boston globe is riddled with liberal bullshit that just makes me mad... don't know why I even interjected my thoughts into this discussion.

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It's amazing how he's either perceived as an asshole or god, not just a guy who says shit on radio. I think he's a comedic genius and yet a political dunce (same way I find most people on job sites). It's hard sometimes to separate the two and a few times I've made up my mind to skip ahead of his rants, then he'll come up with something hilarious (never about guns politics or taxes, if I wanted to hear that I'd listen to my father in law).

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