Kerrys’ own tax records put his plan out of place

Freedom Editorial

Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry enjoys low taxes — for his family.

“According to the Kerrys’ own tax records ... the couple had a combined income of $5.51 million last year and paid $704,227 in income taxes,” writes Stephen Moore, president of the Club for Growth, on Oct. 17 at OpinionJournal.com.

“That means their effective tax rate was a whopping 12.8 percent. And it was all (presumably) done legally.”

By contrast, the Bush family paid at a 30 percent tax rate, and “the average federal tax rate — combined payroll and income tax — for a middle-class family is closer to 20 percent or more.”

Moore notes that in the 2000 election, Steve Forbes proposed a flat tax as low as 17 percent. And we remember Pat Buchanan proposed one of 15 percent.

Sen. Kerry, of course, wants to jack up taxes on those making more than $200,000 a year from 35 percent to 38 percent — just shy of three times what his own family pays.

So how about if Sen. Kerry announced, “I have a new flat-tax plan. No American should pay more than the 12.8 percent, like the Kerry family.”

It’s a winner, Democrats.