^Jorilanb Ohbsewer
lanuary 25. 2012
Page II
Taxes on the Rich and Everyone Else
Fairness lost
with loopholes
by
J udge G reg M athis
Even though Republi
can Presidential candidate
Mitt Romney is hesitant to
release his tax returns, he
is on record saying that he
is probably at a 15-percent tax
rate.
This means that Romney, who
has a net worth of over $200
million, has a lower tax rate than
m ost m iddle-class A m erican
workers. By comparison, Presi
dent Obama had a 26-percent
tax rate in 2010; the income that
was taxed included his book roy
alties, which undoubtedly totaled
more than one million
dollars.
Romney's wealth and
his comparably low tax
rate highlight a very im
portant issue: income in
equality.
In the U.S., income inequal
ity, that is the gap between the
rich and everyone else, has
grown steadily for decades. With
the recession and subsequent
job losses moving more and more
people from the middle class into
poverty, the discussions over
wealth and taxes have taken on
an entirely different -sometimes-
hostile - tone.
It is unconscionable to think
that CEOs of major companies
can earn tens of millions of dol
lars each year, while their em
ployees, who work long hours to
generate the profit that would
net such a large salary, earn
much less and probably pay a
higher tax rate.
W arren Buffet, one of the
richest men in the world, shock
ingly revealed that his own sec
retary pays a higher tax rate
than he does. Like most of us,
Buffet doesn't see how this could
possibly be fair.
Romney is so rich that he
doesn't actually work. Instead,
he lives off the interest off his
investments.
These investments are taxed
at a much lower rate than the
standard 35-percent that is nor
mally levied onto the salaries of
wealthy Americans. Romney is
using a special provision to en
sure less of his money goes into
government coffers; a practice
that many think is unfair.
Changes have to be made in
our nation's tax code so that
everyone is paying taxes com
parable to their income.
No one is asking for a socialist
system where everyone makes
the same. However, it is only
fair that the tax burden on lower
and middle-income workers is
eased a bit and loopholes for the
super-rich be eliminated.
Judge Greg M athis is a
longtime advocate fo r equal
justice. His life story o f a street
youth who rose from jail to
judge has provided hope to
millions.
t
Red Tails Movie Shoots Down Stereotypes
The power to
overcome any
barrier
by
M arc H. M orial
I a tte n d e d
the New York
premiere of a
new G eo rg e
L u cas
film
about the he
roic exploits of
the all-b lack
fighter pilot squadron that helped
America defeat the N azi’s in
World W ar II. I a m not in the
business of promoting new mov
ies, but there are several rea
sons that compel me to highlight
the release o f “Red Tails,” the
story of the pioneering Tuskegee
Airmen.
First, the movie has a virtually
all-black cast with black male
heroes, a rare depiction by Hol
lywood. Cuba G ooding Jr.,
Terrence Howard, Nate Parker,
David Oyelowo, and NE-YO all
play key roles.
Lucas has said that the black
theme and black cast were ma
jo r reasons Hollywood repeat
edly declined to back the film.
He struggled 23-years to get
major studio financing.
“I showed it to all of them,” he
said, “and they said no, we don’t
know how to market a movie
like this.” He wound up pouring
$58 million of his own money
into the project.
The second reason I am ex
cited about this film is that recent
comments by political candidates
denigrating the African Ameri
can community and reviving out-.
lowed a few days later by a
comment from Newt Gingrich
that “African Americans should
demand pay checks not food
stamps.” Gingrich has called
Barack Obama “The best food
U nited States m ilitary. They
were trained at Tuskegee In
stitute, now Tuskegee U niver
sity in A labam a. D espite dis
crim ination during W orld W ar
II, these brilliant airmen fought
■
—--------------------------------------------------
We hope what youngsters get out o f the story
is that under some dire circumstances we
prevailed. We performed successfully and we
opened doors that they don 7 have to fight to.
--Col. Charles McGee, “ RedTails" technical consultant and surviving member of theTuskegee Airmen.
Lucas teamed with black co
executive producer, C harles
Floyd Johnson, and black direc
tor Anthony Hemingway to cre
ate a film they all hope will in
spire a new generation o f A fri
can-American youth.
The message of the movie,
and the lesson of the Tuskegee
Airmen, is clear: We have the
power to overcome any barrier
to serve our nation and achieve
our dreams.
One movie won’t solve the
problem, but we think it’s an
important step in the right direc
tion.
Marc H. Morial is president
dated stereotypes, make it more stamp president in American his fascism abroad and returned and chief executive officer o f
important than ever to spotlight tory.”
to fight racism back home.
the National Urban League.
the historic contributions and
public service of black Ameri
cans.
In just the last few weeks,
two presidential candidates, Rick
Santorum and Newt Gingrich,
have perpetuated false and de
structive racial stereotypes in
desperate attempts to score po
litical points.
In a discussion of social assis
tance programs, Santorum said
he doesn’t want to “make black
people’s lives better by giving
them someone else’s money.”
Santorum ’s appalling comment
implied that people of color are a
drain on resources mainly pro
vided by whites, even though
about 70 percent of food stamp
recipients are white.
Santorum’s statement was fol
We are outraged by the com
ments of both candidates and
denounced them in separate
statem ents.
The fact is, social safety net
program s serve fam ilies in dire
circum stances from all walks
o f life. M any of those who
now find them selves in need,
w hatever their ethnic back
ground, are the very people
who have paid into these pro
gram s and made sacrifices to
support their fam ilies and our
nation throughout their w ork
ing lives.
Which brings me back to the
Tuskegee Airmen.
In the 1940s, before our
arm ed forces were integrated,
the T uskegee Airmen became
the first black aviators in the
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