The Hypocrisy of the Right

Virtually every other word out of the mouths of those on the right would include the phrases, “smaller government”, “less government in the lives of citizens”, “take our country back”, or other words to the effect that today’s government spends too much taxpayer money and effort helping citizens that should help themselves.  Of course, what these critics fail to note is the extent they and their followers actually benefit from government and taxpayer support in one form or another.  Paul Ryan, the Congressman famous for the Ryan Budget plan fails to mention how he personally benefited from the Social Security Survivors program.  Ryan also neglects to comment on the extent his family prospered from spending on the part of government to build roads, bridges, the Interstate Highway System, to name a few or how that enabled him to persue his goals in life.  Romney also fails to mention how he has been able to acquire his wealth as a result of many government regulations and tax laws.  For example, the tax return Romney released indicated that he paid ;ess than 15% federal income tax on an income of $43 million dollars.  He was able to take advantage of many special government tax rules and regulations in order to arrive at this benefit not to exclude a deduction of $74,000 for his wife’s horse.  Had this income, $43 million be that of a lottery winner or qa commission sales person, unlike Romney, that person without Romney’s government given tax benefits would pay approximately $15 million in federal income tax where Romney only paid approximately $6.5 million in federal income tax.  Romney’s government largess (which he claims to oppose) saved him approximately $8.5 million in federal income tax.  No horse pun intended, but that ain’t hay!  Romney also fails to mention the various tax laws and government regulations that were used by his business to allow him to accumulate his wealth or the various government regulations that permit him to shield potential inheritance taxes or defer federal income tax on retirement income.  Neither does he mention the various tax advantages given by government to those with offshore investments.  What we continually hear from the right is less government to them but not for us.  Taxpayers should not assist those in need of assistance because if they had “our initiative and drive” they would not be in need.  Taxpayer largess should only go to those who have earned that largess.  What the right fails to mention is that is every deduction, exemption, or exclusion was eliminated from the tax code there would be a surplus.  What the right fails to note is tax benefits are just as much, if not more so, a cause of overspending on the part of government as actual government cash outlays.  Finally, what the right fails to note is the extent those on the right who voice opposition to government actually benefit from government.  It is time to put an end to hypocrisy from the right.