47%

I am one of the 47% Mitt seems to have no use for.  In reality, I would agree with Mitt in that I have no use for Mitt.  While I am “dependent” upon the government for food, shelter, medical care, and other things I have paid for that “government assistance” my entire working life.  I am not referring to paying federal income taxes, by the way.  I began paying into my Social Security account in 1953, and have paid into that account every year since then.  Even though I am now retired, I still do occasional work and when that happens, funds are deducted from my payment for FICA.  I would like Mitt or anyone else tell me why it is acceptable to them to pay into an insurance company for an annuity that pays the policyholder at some time in the future, but a government check drawn on a Social Security account is unacceptable in their mind.  The same is true for my healthcare coverage.  Since the beginning of Medicare, again, funds from my paychecks to the Medicare fund have been made.  Actually, since 1974, when I became self-employed, I have paid both sides, employer and employee, of both Medicare and Social Security.  Having said that, can Mitt say the same thing?  Has Mitt continued to make payments into Social Security or Medicare or by considering his income to be from investments rather than salary, is he able to avoid contributing to those programs.  One other question I would like Mitt to answer...is he more “entitled” to his 15% tax rate than I am entitled to a return on my years of contrinuting to a retirement and insurance program run by the federal government rather than private enterprise.  From all appearances, Republicans would end Social Security and Medicare.  They are pandering to the private enterprises that would replace both of those programs and have no concern for the millions of American citizens that are better served by a government program than by private enterprise.  The only solution Mitt have offered to the problems this country faces is lower taxes and fewer regulations.  Unfortunately Mitt and his fellow Republicans have ignored the reality that it is just those “solutions”, lower taxes and fewer regulations” that have contributed to the cause of the nation’s economic decline.  Promising lower taxes is not governing and it is time Republicans learned that one of the jobs of governing involves paying the expenses incurred by government.