Billionaire Michael Bloomberg said recently at the World Bank Group 2018 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. that raising taxes on poor people is a “good thing” for the poor people.
“Some people say, well, taxes are regressive,” Bloomberg said, according to Americans For Reform. “But in this case, yes they are. That’s the good thing about them because the problem is in people that don’t have a lot of money. And so, higher taxes should have a bigger impact on their behavior and how they deal with themselves.”
“So, I listen to people saying ‘oh we don’t want to tax the poor,'” Bloomberg continued. “Well, we want the poor to live longer so that they can get an education and enjoy life. And that’s why you do want to do exactly what a lot of people say you don’t want to do.”
“The question is do you want to pander to those people?” Bloomberg asked. “Or do you want to get them to live longer?”
Bloomberg’s comments drew sharp criticism from hundreds of accounts on Twitter.
“The mindset of a leftist: Poor people are irresponsible and stupid, and unless the Government steps in and saves them from themselves, they will make stupid decisions that will make them die,” The Reagan Battalion wrote.
“Exactly what poor & lower middle class people want to hear: A rich guy telling them how to live their life,” Robby Starbuck tweeted. “Better yet a rich guy telling them they need to give up more of their hard earned paycheck. Good luck selling that Mike Bloomberg!”
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