Socialists running for President are having a tough time this week with this whole wealth redistribution thing.
Bernie Sanders was asked why he hasn’t paid “his fair share” in taxes. He noted in the town hall his 2016 campaign advocated for a 52% tax rate on the wealthy (which includes him). When pressed by Martha MacCallum on why he hasn’t paid that (he’s taken advantage of all the tax breaks afforded under the changes passed by Congress and signed by President Trump), his response was purely reactionary, essentially -- well why don’t you? It seems to be a standard for socialist politicians – you all should pay more, but I won’t unless forced to.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for Bernie keeping his money as long as he complies with the tax requirements, but then I’m not suggesting the rich pay more either. If you advocate for a high tax rate to pay for government spending, and are not willing to voluntarily pay that much yourself then all you are doing is advocating for less freedom for others.
The exchange:
Marth MacCallum: “So would you be willing to pay 52% on the money that you made? You can volunteer, you can send it back”Bernie: “You can volunteer too…why don’t you give? You make more money than I do”MacCallum: “I didn’t suggest a wealth tax”Bret Baier: “And she’s not running for POTUS”
Then, to deflect the questioning, he launched into the "let's see Trump's tax returns" defense.
Beto O’Rourke was asked by a student at the University of Virginia why his charitable donations are so low when compared to others (averaging about .7% compared to 3-4% as a national average). His response was: "There are charities that we've donated to that we've recorded and itemized, others that we've donated to that we have not," O'Rourke said. "I'll tell you, I'm doing everything I can right now, spending this time with you, not with our kiddos, not back home in El Paso, because I want to sacrifice everything to make sure that we meet this moment of truth with everything we've got."[1]
Essentially, O’Rourke’s answer is he is so important his time running for office is his donation.
There are a number of studies that highlight the different views of liberals and conservatives regarding charitable donations, but I find nothing that suggests one group is more or less charitable than the other. The one thing I do find is one group thinks it’s the government's job to provide for the basic needs of the people, while the other group thinks the government’s job is to set the framework for success and let the people succeed or fail under that framework. The charities the two groups contribute to reflect that philosophical difference.
[1] https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/04/15/beto-orourke-releases-10-years-tax-returns-shows-366000-income-2017
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