By

Sarah Huisenga /

CBS News/ October 10, 2012, 9:17 PM

Romney pitches tax plan details that favor the wealthy

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) shakes hands with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) as they talk with supporters at Buns Bakery and Restaurant in Delaware, Ohio, on October 10, 2012.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) shakes hands with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) as they talk with supporters at Buns Bakery and Restaurant in Delaware, Ohio, on October 10, 2012. / GettyImages

DELAWARE, Ohio Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told Ohio voters Wednesday that they can't afford four more years of President Obama's economic policies, arguing that while the Democratic president would raise taxes on middle-income households, he would lower them.

But Romney's proposal as he described it - eliminating tax on interest, dividends, and capital gains - would largely help those living on investment income, which does not include many people in the middle class.

At a rally here, Romney told the crowd that Obama would raise taxes on middle-income families by $4,000, a claim that has been debunked by several fact-checking websites. Romney promised to reduce the burden of those making $200,000 a year or less.

"I have a plan to cut taxes for middle-income tax payers," Romney said. "My plan does this. There'll be no tax on interest, dividends, or capital gains for middle-income families in America."

The wealthy are the major beneficiaries of low taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest; many middle income Americans don't have investment income. The tax break will likely help senior citizens, however, many of whom do live on investment income.

Though he did not mention it Wednesday, Romney's tax plan also includes reducing income tax rates by 20 percent across-the-board, a figure which could significantly reduce the tax burden of middle-income Americans. But some experts are skeptical that Romney will be able to keep tax rates low for middle-income taxpayers without getting rid of loopholes like the mortgage tax deduction, a popular tax break for people in the middle class who own their own homes.

Romney has consistently said he will not raise taxes on any Americans, but has declined to specify which loopholes and deductions he would get rid of in order to make his tax plan revenue neutral.

According to Romney spokesman Rick Gorka, Romney believes that eliminating taxes on interest, dividends, and capital gains will "encourage investment in savings," and that more Americans will start to utilize these tax tools to save money.

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    Sarah Huisenga is covering the Mitt Romney campaign for CBS News and National Journal.

263 Comments Add a Comment
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joepitts42 says:
The tax cut for dividends, interest, and capital gains is for people making LESS than $200,000 a year. I am 78, I worked all of my life, paid taxes, and SAVED. I has an account that yields interest, dividends, and capital gains..I rely on this for my living! I paid tax on the money invested in this account. I did not buy new cars or houses I could not afford.
I am not wealthy.
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willow11st says:
Fendferyerself;my goodness-gracious golly gee!! I Can't believe That you are actually accusing a fine upstanding mam like willard Romney Of any sort of Flim-Flamery!!Now,I can probably understand if you cast A Suspicious eye at a Cad of President Obama's Ilk!! After all, he is RUMORED To be a MUSLIM!! And,-you didn't hear this from me-he also may be a card-carrying Communist!! And,....he may be not even have been BORN In this country!! After all,you've never heard anyone ask Willard Romney for HIS birth Certificate to see,HAVE you?? The President SAYS that he's A christian and that he Was born In The USA!! But...well,you know how THOSE people lie all the time!! But ,unless You hear it on Fox News channel,you NEVER know if it's the TRUTH!! (there ya go,CBS News,Inoffensive enough for Ya??)
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nygurl1 replies:
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Silly. ...But you summed up the rep lies quite nicely!
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Ericwvb says:
"no tax on interest, dividends, or capital gains for middle-income families in America." -- I also expect Romney to push through a series of tax cuts and subsidies on Gulfstream Jets, homes over 20,000 square feet, and private yachts for Middle Income Americans!

Romney's proposals means that Mitt Romney's tax rate, already obscenely low at 14%, would drop to under 1%.

Why is it not at 1% in the polls? I just don't get why 99% of Americans would vote for this guy.
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Lerianis4 replies:
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Hillz, the only thing that a Romney administration will do is to allow more jobs to be shipped out of America, remove all our environmental regulations so that we are comparable to China, etc.

Not things that we want done. It's time to tell the BASTARDS in big business that we are SICK AND TIRED of their abject whinery and sock them with 100% taxes per year on profits if they keep on whining that our tax rate, which is one of the LOWEST in the world when you are talking about first world nations, is too high.
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Thinkbeforeyouwrite says:
So, essentially, with an income of many millions, Romney would not pay any income tax? I don't believe that anybody running for President could have that much gall. Do not tell me he gives millions to his church and that makes up for it. He does that because it makes him feel good. I do not think giving money to your church is all that altruistic. I give several hundred dollars (nothing compared to Romney) but a lot to me and I give it to keep my church buildings looking nice, to keep my church pastor happy, to keep activities for the young ongoing, etc.
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nygurl1 replies:
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The only charity he give to is HIS church which DEMANDS it !
That is why he is one of their bishops and has been a stakesman!

He doesn't give a dingdong about anyone but himself!
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petegers says:
If Romney follows through with his promised 20% rate reduction, coupled with a $17,000 limit on itemized deductions in order to make up part of the revenue loss, those who do not itemize and a couple earning over about $1 million would typically receive a tax cut. Who would pay higher taxes to compensate for the cuts? Typically those earning about $70,000 to about $1 million.
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kommonsenz says:
hillzhaveays. Which policies exactly. So, he didn't inherit an already decimated economy?
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Lerianis4 replies:
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Yes, Obama did inherit a devastated economy and he has pretty much managed to fix the economy. Sure, we still have a LOT of people out of work, but it took us 20 years after the Great Depression to get up to 6% people out of work who wanted to work.
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kommonsenz says:
I am curious as to who will fund the infrastructure or the military if no one pays taxes???
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nygurl1 replies:
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They will invent new taxes.
It's the only way possible.
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pbarber12 says:
Several Presidents and the Congress have increased taxes to a high level on the rich who tend to hoard their money in bad economic conditions. Not spending their money, storing their money overseas, or not investing into U.S. companies creates a tight money supply, which then disallows small businesses from getting loans to buy future inventory - i.e. buy Christmas products to sell. So a high tax is put on the rich person's income and at the same time a low tax is put on stock dividends to encourage them to invest in company stocks.

Following the high tax formula on the Ultra Rich has led historically to have large positive GDP increases which means more jobs are produced. President Eisenhower taxed the Ultra Rich at 91%, which resulted in a high 14.3% GDP. President Reagan dramatically reduced the Ultra Rich tax rate to 28%, which resulted in a lowering the GDP to 3.3%. President Bush Jr. and his Republican Congress eliminated estate taxes for the ultra rich and with 9/11 the Ultra Rich stopped investing and we ended up with a huge downturn, a -5.6% GDP and a very bad recession which we are still struggling to end. The Ultra Rich are not investing in companies - new or old - as they did before when being faced with higher tax rates. During President Clinton, the capital investment in start-ups was around 65%, and now it is at around 10%. Loan money for small businesses is still tight, and thus there is no money to expand and the job growth is slow.

Now Romney's current proposal is to cut the taxes even more for the rich, and this week he even proposed to completely eliminate the capital gains and dividend tax to 0%. The old saying goes - "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer".

Any small businessperson knows how this economy ticks, and what our small businesses need now. It takes short term loans to buy inventory stock, to get through bad weather cycles (i.e. farms, concrete, etc.), to get through consumer downturns at the beginning of the year (i.e. retail), and to know that keeping your money here in the U.S. should be a priority, so our banks have money to loan out to boost company growth which is good for all us.

We need to stop the visas for foreign workers here in the U.S (i.e. 1.2 million foreign engineers with high paying jobs). All the foreign workers are sending billions of potential consumer money overseas - around $223 billion US dollars in 2011. This money should be staying home in the U.S., and should be helping to increase consumer consumption, so that our business can grow and produce more jobs. Instead we have 23 million people unemployed. It is time to send the foreigners home.

Our people need jobs, and our business need U.S. consumers to buy their goods to be successful. It is an easy formula - tax the Ultra Rich to get them to invest, send the foreign workers home, and get our banks to have their number one priority to loan money to our small businesses. Then sit back and watch our GDP grow. There will be good paying jobs once again. It is time to get most of the 23 million people back to work and to get our 500,000 engineers and our recent graduates (50% college and 75% high school) who are out of work making new products!
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kommonsenz replies:
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Great summarization. I wish everyone would take note!!
Lerianis4 replies:
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Right on all points, PBARBER. That is historical F A C T. Something that no one can disagree with ever.
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fendferyerself says:
I am a firm believer in being totally accountable and responsible for my own life and income. If I think a corporation is taking advantage of me as an employee, I leave. If I am not happy working in the corporate world then I start my own business and run it the way I think it should be run. I don't believe in hiding behind extortionist Unions or looking to the Federal and State governments for handouts or tax breaks or to make my life easier for me. If I don't like my interest being taxed, I find other investments. I believe in saving as much money as I can, for future problems that may arise. I will not be dependent on social security when I retire.
All that being said, I hope most American citizens are starting to realize from this farce of a Presidential Campaign, that you cannot count on a Presidential Candidate to "save you" when they are elected. They all lie. Obama lies. Romney lies. Obama favors the poor, has no interest in the middle class, and he is one of the wealthy ones - right? Romney favors the wealthy and has no interest in the middle class. They both weild the "middle class" spear for one reason only: to try to get the votes. They have no other interest in the middle class other than the Vote you can provide for them.
So what to do? How about ignoring everything they say, everything the media says, and concentrate on your own life and wealth, such as it is? If you are not happy with the status of your life and your savings and your assets, what are you going to do about it? Gripe and moan day in and day out and complain that a presidential candidate isn't going to give you all the breaks you deserve?
Do you really think if they tax the wealthy more heavily that ANY of that money is going to benefit YOU in the long run? Do you really beleive the federal government is going to use that money wisely or waste it on some unbelieveable pet favorite causes that they happen to support that day?
So quit worrying about the wealthy getting taxed more, quit worrying about your piddly tax breaks or piddly federal handouts, and start concentrating on what YOU need to do to enhance your current status and survive in a world where NO ONE is interested in your piddly problems! Start taking some accountability for your own life and quit listening to the stuff spewing from these presidential candidates, it is just WORDS, just like Obama did 4 years ago, then sat on his duff after he got elected and took all those vacations and golf outings.
Start thinking like an intelligent rational human being and quit listening to all these dimwits!
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spicymom9 says:
The Bush Admin gave my family a 7% tax cut I did not need. That money could easily pay a teacher, and one less person would have lost their job in this recession. Giving that money to me did not create new jobs... it created job losses. I do not understand how anyone can vote against raising taxes on wealthier Americans who are willing to do their fair share. I agree with Warren Buffett.
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