|
Heritage
Foundation…
Morning
Bell: Government Dependency Rises As
Number of Taxpayers Declines
By Amy Payne
September 19, 2012
The
leak of a video featuring former Governor
Mitt Romney (R-MA) has sparked debate about government dependency and
the
number of people in the United States who do not pay federal income tax.
In
the video, Romney refers to “47 percent” of
Americans and says that they are “dependent upon government” and “pay
no income
tax.” While these groups are not necessarily one in the same, there is
overlap
between the two, and the percentages on government dependency and
non-tax-paying are very similar.
It
is true that nearly half of all tax
filers—those who are filing an income form with the IRS—pay no federal
income
tax. It’s also true that millions of Americans receive direct
government
support in a host of ways, including income, food, housing, medical
care,
school lunches, and more.
In
2009, 47 percent of all tax filers paid no
federal individual income taxes, and in 2011 that figure was 46
percent. This
raises a crucial question, as Heritage’s Alison Fraser points out:
“Should
nearly 50 percent of Americans really be exempt from funding the most
basic
constitutional functions of government—along with education, food
stamps,
energy, welfare, foreign aid, veterans’ benefits, housing, and so
forth?”
It
stands to reason that those who have skin in
the game—who are helping to pay for all of the government programs—will
be more
concerned about reining in out-of-control government spending, because
they see
their taxes going up and the country’s credit rating going down.
On
the other hand, if you are on the receiving
end of government benefits, that is likely to color your perception of
how
taxpayers’ money should be spent. According to the Heritage
Foundation’s 2012
Index of Dependence on Government, 63.7 million Americans, or about one
in
five, is receiving direct government support from Social Security,
welfare, or
Pell Grants—and that is at its highest level ever…
See
the chart and read the rest of the article
at Heritage Foundation
|
