By Robert Romano–One claim made by supporters of extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits is that 160 million Americans will have their taxes increased if the legislation does not pass. For example by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: “The payroll tax cut that the president proposed would put $1,500 in the pockets of 160 million Americans.”
However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are only 140.5 million Americans even employed:
http://bls.gov/news.release/empsit.a.htm
So, where’s the other 20 million payroll taxpayers? BLS only measures the entire labor force at 153.8 million, and 8.6 percent of those are said to be unemployed!
Doesn’t one have to in the least be on a payroll in order to pay payroll taxes? Just asking.
Perhaps the 20 million live in the mysterious, additional 7 states Obama cited on the campaign trail in 2008…
Robert Romano is the Senior Editor of Americans for Limited Government.
