You're not drowing in taxes, Tea Party

Contrary to the shared sentiment and paranoid belief of the Tea Party movement that America is drowning in taxes, they couldn't be farther from the truth. Not only have many non-partisan economists stated the so far during the Obama administration, taxes have gone down or stayed the same and not gone up, but even conservative economists admit that there is no reason to believe Americans are paying higher taxes. Chris Edwards, Director of Tax Policy Studies at the conservative Cato Institute, provides a reality check for the teabaggers:

The only tax I think that has been put in place so far is an increase in the federal cigarette tax. I can't think of another Obama tax that has gone in place so far. I would say that people are angry because big taxes are coming down the road because of the gigantic deficit built up under Bush and continued under Obama.

You see, when there's a trillion dollar tax cut for wealthy Americans, two trillion dollar wars being waged in Afghanistan and Iraq, an economic collapse and financial meltdown, Medicare and Medicaid, and a colossal, epic sized Defense budget on top of maintaining an empire, eventually at some point you're going to have to pay for it. As ironic as it may sound, America cannot continue to live on credit and will have to pay for the costs of these various ventures.

The non-partisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported yesterday that "Middle-income Americans are now paying federal taxes at or near historically low levels." The average American family of four is currently paying 4.6% of its income in federal income taxes, which is the second lowest percentage in 50 years. The White House Council of Economic Advisers reported that the economic stimulus plan provided more than $200 billion in tax relief and other benefits to predominantly middle- and lower-class families. Citizens for Tax Justice reported on Tuesday that: "The 2009 economic stimulus bill actually reduced federal income taxes for tax year 2009 for 98 percent of all working families and individuals." This also includes tax credits in the range of $400 to $800 that 95% of working families will or have received.

Meanwhile, the health insurance reform legislation recently passed by Congress includes a tax credit which could provide up to 35% of the premiums a small business pays to insure its employees. Also, the Recovery Act had tax breaks such as a $1,500 credit for home energy improvements, and an $8,000 credit for those who are buying their first home.

However many Americans remain completely oblivious to reality. A CBS News/New York Times poll conducted in February found that 24% of respondents believed their taxes had gone up under Obama, while 53% said they had stayed the same, and only 12% said their taxes had decreased. Bob McIntyre, director of Citizens for Tax Justice said that reality is essentially lost to fantasy:

Belief is triumphing over reality. Part of it is they watch the wrong television shows and believe it. Part of it is the tax cut that went to almost everybody, the making work pay credit, was dribbled out...people didn't get a cheque. They paid lower taxes and might not have noticed it.