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Billionaire Bloomberg: If Rich Are Taxed, Then Everyone Should Be Taxed
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 12, 2011
Modified Aug 12, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 12, 2011
Modified Aug 12, 2011
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Oh, Mayor Bloomberg. We know you have national ambitions, but is offering this idea really the way into everyone's heart? This morning, our billionaire mayor said on his radio show, "If you want to raise taxes, don't pick one class of people and say, 'I think they have too much money' or 'I don't think they have enough money' or whatever. Raise everybody's taxes 1 or 2 percent or whatever."
We know you hate the "millionaires' tax" and taxing rich people because that'd mean rich people wouldn't want to live in NYC and add to the brain trust... and also, oh yeah, it'd probably affect his estimated worth of over $18 billion.
Bloomberg's strategy in these crazy AA+ credit rating days is for everyone to share in the pain. He said of what he'd do to get the U.S. out of its debt mess, "I think that should be a combination of revenue enhancements and expense cuts." The Post notes that Bloomberg's company, Bloomberg LP, had an editorial complaining about Republicans: "One of the oddest aspects of the debate is that the Republican position may not even be good politics—at least outside safe Republican districts. Public opinion polls show an increasing acceptance of the need to raise taxes to put the nation's fiscal house in order. (A large majority of voters would like to see the wealthiest 1 percent raise their hands first.)"
Also, Bloomberg implicitly showed his support for the insane proposed Port Authority toll hikes as well: "You want a service, you gotta pay for it."
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everyone
government
mayor bloomberg
revenue
rich people
tax
taxes
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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