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Kansas Republican Actually Opposes The Poor Buying More Food

The Kansas state Senate has voted to lower the sales tax from 6.3% to 4.95% on groceries only – other purchases remain at the same rate – trying to ease the burden on middle class and poor families. It passed by a vote of 25-14. The plan also cuts the state income tax. Now it goes to the House, but its fate there is not very promising. Governor Sam Brownback would like the sales tax to stay at the current rate to make up for income tax cuts last year and the House is inclined to do what the governor wants.

Enter State Rep. Jeff Melcher, the leader of the opponents of the Senate’s plan. His arguments against the tax rollback are not based on economics, however. He’s worried that lower prices on food will move the poor to buy more… food. Let that one roll around your brain for a minute, I’ll wait. Your head still in one piece? Okay, here’s Melcher’s insane troll logic:

“It seems to me we are encouraging the behavior of purchasing food and discouraging the behavior of purchasing anything else.”

That’s less than a nickel on a dollar. He’s worried that the poor will use that extra nickel to buy, what, another stalk of celery? Oh my goodness, a ten-dollar grocery bill will have an extra 50 cents, you better watch out or those poor people might buy another can of corn!

Moderate Republican (they actually have one of these in Kansas!) State Rep. Barbara Bollier said:

“I have no words. That’s just beyond comprehension to me. We each get to think what we want to think. But this is so far out there that I can’t believe someone said it. It’s frightening. That’s what it is.”

Indeed it is. And it points to a serious problem in this country, as Republican lawmakers demonize the poor. The stigma of being poor, of being unable to feed, clothe and shelter one’s family has grown into a terrible misrepresentation of an increasingly larger section of our population. The poor are not lazy or stupid, not most of them, but they are being used as a scapegoat by the rich people’s party. Our financial woes were not brought on by the poor and unemployed, the sick and disabled. It grew from the uncontrollable greed of the rich and entitled. And it’s time we cut that ugly weed off at the root. http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/26/kansas-republican-actually-opp
oses-the-poor-buying-more-food/#ixzz2UWABJIow

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