Of all issues in politics, this one is probably most dear to me.  No I’m not talking about healthcare, though that may be a close second, I’m talking about maintaining and improving the quality of our political dialogue.  For those who don’t know, healthcare town hall meetings have been held over the last week all across the country, and small groups of radical protesters have shown up at many of them with the express goal of “shouting down” their elected leaders.

To be clear, I have absolutely no problem with somebody being against the current healthcare bills being developed in congress.  If they’ve researched the issues thoroughly and have cut through the mists of misinformation and still come out thinking its not the best idea for America then more power to them.  I would welcome those people at a healthcare town hall and I would encourage them to go and speak their mind, even forcefully if they feel its appropriate.  But that’s not what this is.  This is just mobs of people screaming slogans and platitudes.  It’s people who are clearly unfamiliar with the content of the healthcare bill chanting things like “read this bill” for half an hour while their elected leader tries in vain to explain to them that they actually have read each and every iteration of the bill.  This news article, after the jump, will give you a picture of what’s going on:

From the St. Petersburg Times:  ”TAMPA – Bitter divisions over reforming America’s health care system exploded Thursday night in Tampa amid cat calls, jeering and shoving at a town hall meeting.

“Tyranny! Tyranny! Tyranny!” dozens of people shouted as U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor struggled to talk about health insurance reforms under consideration in Washington, D.C.

“There is more consensus than there is disagreement when you get right down to it,” Castor offered, immediately drowned out by groans and boos.  She pressed on, mostly unheard among the screams from the audience of more than 200.

“Tell the truth! Tell the truth!”

“Read the bill!”

“Forty-million illegals! Forty million illegals!”

The spectacle at the Children’s Board in Ybor City sounded more like a wrestling cage match than a panel discussion on national policy, and it was just the latest example of a health care meeting disrupted by livid protesters. Similar scenes are likely to be repeated across the country as lawmakers head back to their home districts for the summer recess.

Thursday’s forum/near riot was sponsored by state Rep. Betty Reed, D-Tampa, and the Service Employees International Union, who apparently had hoped to hold something of a pep rally for President Obama’s health care reform proposal.

Instead, hundreds of vocal critics turned out, many of them saying they had been spurred on through the Tampa 912 activist group promoted by conservative radio and television personality Glenn Beck. Others had received e-mails from the Hillsborough Republican party that urged people to speak out against the plan and offered talking points to challenge supporters…

She [Castor] left before the forum ended, which drew more boos. State Rep. Reed said she encouraged Castor to leave because nobody could hear her any way.”

Clearly shouting things like “tyranny!” and “tell the truth!” adds nothing to the debate.  And I’m still scratching my head about the “forty-million illegals” thing.  Are they under the impression that the bill would give free healthcare to illegal immigrants?  Because it specifically denies them healthcare subsidies.

Another important issue is the one brought up at the end of the article.  While some members of congress and certain partisan news organizations are trying to pass this off as a grassroots movement of citizens, it’s become clear that they’re nothing more than an organized group of traveling protesters, moving from town hall to town hall to create a public spectacle.  The conservative organization “Freedomworks” has already taken credit for several of the protests and has proudly posted a video of protesters shouting at a befuddled Arlen Specter, labeling it a “must emulate”.  They’ve also bragged about how their members have driven as much as 4 hours to disrupt town halls in other districts.  And the group “Conservatives for Patient’s Rights” has also admitted to being behind many of the protests, even going so far as providing lists of slogans and phrases for their members to shout out and encouraging people to interrupt and “drown out” their public servants.  Obviously there’s nothing wrong with organized protests, but it does irk me some when they then vehemently deny that they’re anything but regular ole town hall attendees.  Its very reminiscent of the Tea Parties that FoxNews and Freedomworks organized and promoted for months, and then covered as “an inspiring, spontaneous, grassroots call for liberty”.  But more than simply being dishonest, these shipped-in protestors deny the real constituents of that district their opportunity to participate.

To those who may be sympathetic towards these protesters, or who may be warming up their lungs for a town hall appearance of their own, I submit for your consideration this quote from one of our great founding fathers, John Adams:

“I fear that in every assembly, members will obtain an influence by noise not sense. By meanness, not greatness, By ignorance, not learning, By contracted hearts, not large souls.
There is one thing, my dear sir, that must be attempted and most sacredly observed or we are all undone. There must be decency and respect, and veneration introduced for persons of authority of every rank, or we are all undone. in a popular government, this is our only way”
–John Adams, from a letter to one of his constituents.

Is that really too much to ask?  While I was no fan of President Bush’s policies I always cringed when protesters would hold up signs comparing him to hitler, or when I’d hear someone call him an “idiot” or “ignoramous”.  And I cringe now that the tables have turned and it seems that in less than 6 months our country is already more comfortable disrespecting our elected leaders than we were 6 years into the Bush administration.  I mean seriously, when did we get to the point that a very friendly looking man like the one in the picture above feels comfortable being photographed while hanging his congressman in effigy at a town hall meeting?  Certainly this is not the direction our country should be headed in, and its not the kind of political discourse our founding fathers hoped we’d be engaging in 200 years later.  Whether you like your leaders or not, they were elected fairly and justly through the rules of representative democracy.  And whether you feel like their opinions mirror your own or not, to disrespect them to this degree is to disrespect the system laid down by our founding fathers.

Even pushing all that to the side, this kind of incivility is just plain stupid.  These protesters are complaining that their voice isn’t being heard and when they have the opportunity to make their concerns known directly to their elected leaders they opt instead to hurl insults and angry non sequiturs, missing an opportunity to contribute thoughtfully to the discussion and instantly identifying themselves as solution-less obstructionists.  Healthcare reform is an exceptionally complex issue, and the bills going through congress are actually impressively moderate.  There are certainly elements of them that are controversial, but as US Rep Kathy Castor tried to tell her incensed Tampa crowd, “There is more consensus than there is disagreement when you get right down to it”.  I think most people, including conservatives,  would find upon actually studying these bills that there is a lot to like.

So please, lets all calm down and take a deep breath.  If you’re concerned about healthcare reform then get educated using balanced and unbaised sources (this post: Some Basic Info on the House’s Healthcare Reform Bill  will get you started).  Then if you find that once you understand the bills circulating congress you still oppose them then by all means work to modify or even defeat them.  But please do so thoughtfully, with civility, sans fear-mongering and hyperbole, and with a healthy respect for those who disagree, and those your community has chosen to represent you.

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Hey look, a timely article for a change!  Finally I’m addressing a phenomenon before it happens and not days/weeks after it has passed.  Anyway, you may or may not have heard about the “tea-party” anti-tax movement that’s developing around the country.  This tea-party movement consists of people gathering in various cities on April 15th holding protests about the “terrible taxes burdening americans”, and what they see as America’s coming descent into socialism.  Here’s a quote from one of the two fawning FoxNews articles that were up about it today.  From one of the organizers of the tea party protests:

“People are getting killed — they’re getting hammered with taxes and it’s not the way this country is supposed to be run. … We want to fight back,”

Are people really getting hammered with taxes?  I don’t challenge their right to gather and protest taxes or whatever they want, but they may want to check a few facts first.  And to make it convenient for them, I’ve gathered the pertinent graphs and information after the jump.  I should also note before I begin that not all tea-party participants are claiming taxes are too high and that some are doing this for other reasons (to protest the stimulus, just to express their anger that McCain lost etc), I’m not addressing those concerns here.  But these tea-parties are being billed as “anti-tax protests” so this is a significant part of what they’re organizing for and this article will address that issue.  Anyway, as best as I can deduce, here’s some relevant historical perspective…

Taxes on the Average Family

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First up is this graph showing data compiled from the treasury department.  It only runs up to 2006 but I’m fairly certain the tax rates haven’t changed since then.  It clearly shows that the median-income family of four’s average effective income tax rate is currently at its lowest level since at least 1955.  And Obama’s budget will lower that substantially as described in this AP article.

Also, in this analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities from 2001 we read, “…this analysis’ update of the CBO data on overall federal tax burdens finds that when households’ total federal tax burdens are considered — including their payroll, excise, and other taxes, along with the income taxes they pay — most categories of households will face a lower average tax burden in 2001 than in any year from 1979 to the present. (1979 is the first year these CBO data cover.) For example, the middle fifth of taxpayers will pay an average of approximately 16.3 percent of income in total federal taxes in 2001, the lowest percentage during the 22 year period examined.”  And once again, for all but the highest earners, these tax rates, already at historic lows, are only going to fall further under Obama’s budget.

Taxes on Corporations

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What about our poor businesses and corporations?  I mean during the election the (misleading) statistic that America’s corporate tax rates are higher than any other industrialized country was thrown around left and right!  And some members of congress have continued to call for them to be lowered further.  As we can clearly see from the accompanying graph, corporate tax rates are also at near record lows.  Whether or not they need to be lowered further from here is a topic for another article.  But the fact that they’re already lower than they’ve been in 50 years should be enough to make tea-party organizers think twice.

It’s been surprisingly difficult for me to find information on what specifically  Obama’s proposed budget would do to corporate tax rates but it seems that it includes a mixture of focused tax breaks and closure of current tax loopholes and there is some uncertainty about how it will end up affecting the average corporation.  But any change in the average rate will be a matter of a few percent and won’t substantially change our position on the graph.

Taxes on the Rich

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Here we go!  Everyone knows Obama’s budget raises taxes on the rich right?  Its part of his socialistic plan for wealth redistribution!  Well this graph shows the top marginal personal income tax rate since 1913 according to the IRS.  And as you can see, the rich have had it relatively easy for the last several years.  The current marginal income tax rate for the rich lies at about 35% and Obama’s budget would move it to a little over 38%, which would be about equal with the 1997 levels on that graph.  And keep in mind we’re talking about the marginal rate.  So it’s only the income the wealthy receive that is above and beyond $250,000 that would be taxed at a higher rate.  Anything they make up to $250,000 would actually be taxed at a lower rate than it was before.  So their overall tax burden will increase by something less than 3%.  And these tax increases aren’t set to kick in until after 2011.

Wealth Redistribution

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A couple more charts and then I promise I’m done.  While we’re on the topic of wealth distribution and tax stratification, lets look at some of that data.  So when pundits and partisans throw around the word socialism in reference to Obama’s tax policies (they also use the term in reference to his spending policies but that’s another discussion) they’re talking about his lowering of the tax burden on the poor and his raising of the tax burden on the rich.  As we’ve already shown, the rich are getting a pretty paltry tax increase and even so, as this graph shows, our tax policies are flatter than they have been in decades.  The tax rates for nearly all households have been dropping since the 60s, but the rates of the richest have been dropping the fastest.

In fact they’ve been dropping so fast that when you take all sources of taxation into account our tax policies are already flat and bordering on regressive!

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When you count sales taxes (which are regressive) and all other kind of specialty taxes (most of which are also regressive), the bottom 20% of income earners in this country pay a larger percentage of their income in the form of taxes than anyone but the highest 20% of earners.  and even then its only 1% less!  So when we are starting with what we see here in this graph, a slight decrease in the tax rates of most and a slight increase in the rates of the rich will not result in a substantially imbalanced tax burden by any means.

So what backbreaking taxes are these tea-parties protesting exactly?  Taxes are at historic lows (some would say they’re irresponsibly low) for almost everybody and for 95% of America they’re set to go down further.  Corporate taxes are also near all time lows and our country’s tax burden is spread fairly evenly amongst all income groups.  The only group facing any kind of tax increases at all are individuals with an income of $250,000 and even then its not until 2011, its less than 3%, and their rate will still be much lower than its been for most of this century.  And furthermore that income bracket voted predominantly for Obama in the last election, knowing full well that increasing their income taxes was one of his campaign promises.  So if these tea parties are being organized to protest increasing taxes we can only assume they’re doing it on behalf of the rich, which seems odd in its own right, but even more so when you realize that most of the wealthy don’t actually want the help.

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