Promoting the General Welfare of 100%

September 18, 2012 on the View Whoopi pointed out that 9 of the 10 states with the most people not paying income taxes have Republican Governors. She also said she was on welfare and about 85% don’t want to be there including those that lost their jobs in the last 10 years. She said - Maybe I’m wrong but the country I remember, you help people that don’t have help. Joy said when she was a single mother she was fired from Good Morning America, had a near death experience that put her out of commission and got a divorce–she had no money, if it wasn’t for unemployment insurance she doesn’t know what she would have done and doesn’t like Romney considering her a victim. Barbara said there was a point when she collected unemployment insurance. The Preamble of the Constitution of September 17, 1787 says - We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity (generations to come), do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Romney on September 19 said “The question in this campaign is not about who cares about the poor and the middle class, I do and he does. The question is who can help the poor and middle class, I can, he can’t and he’s proven it in 4 years.” In a Florida forum with Univision (Hispanic TV) he said “First of all this is a campaign about the 100%...this is a campaign about helping people who need help and right now the people who are poor in this country need help getting out of poverty”. It seems to me that both Ryan’s and Romney’s comments go against our Constitution as neither is promoting the general welfare of Americans who lost their jobs, get sick or injured, etc. (Ryan has not voted for unemployment extensions and more that support people in need.)

This issue is not just a poor choice of words as Romney/Ryan made it clear they will continue with tax cuts for the rich. The argument now is what’s fair in paying federal income taxes however, the long term goal of the Republicans is to reduce the expenses paid by employers (that’s why they attack government regulation and health care that keeps you safe); employer paid expenses include unemployment, Social Security (SS) and Medicare. They’re already talking about reducing SS and Medicare so be careful what you ask for – unemployment could be an entitlement they go after later.