Democracy is a competitive disadvantage

Terrence Heath has a couple essays about Romney and his now famous "47%" comment. First, an important clarification. These people pay taxes -- at least state, local, sales, and payroll (if they're employed) taxes. What Romney was referring to (though didn't say) was income tax.

There is the important question. Why don't these people pay income tax? The answer is simple. The amount of tax they are to pay is lower than the amount of tax credits they receive. Short answer: They don't make enough money.

Next question: Why don't they make enough money to pay income tax? Because people like Romney shipped the good paying jobs overseas. That leaves Americans with lousy paying jobs. The kinds of jobs Romney wants credit for creating.

Heath's second post features comments by Sara Zacharias. She discovered she is part of the "lazy" 47%, one of the "victims," and is insulted to be spoken about like that. Lazy she is not. And she refuses to be anybody's victim.

Heath's first essay linked to one by Dave Johnson of Campaign for America's Future. He continues the discussion of why so many Americans don't make enough money to pay income tax.

When people are able to have a say in society they say they want such things as decent wages and benefits, good roads and parks, clean environment, standards for safety and decent treatment from businesses. All those things cost money. When people don't have a say in society they are told they can't have all those same things.

"Globalization" and "free trade" mean only a trade in who does the manufacturing work. Factories were closed in places where people have a say and opened in places where people don't have a say. We let those companies "escape the borders of democracy." And because it costs less to exploit workers and foul the environment, allowing companies to escape responsibility means democracy is a competitive disadvantage.

Another reason why so many people don't pay income tax is because so many companies, like Wal-Mart pay just above minimum wage (well below a living wage), requiring their employees to make up the difference with the same gov't services that Romney wants to eliminate.