Occupy Wall Street Backlash: The 53 Percent

http://news.yahoo.com/occupy-wall-street-backlash-53-percent-211700653.html

The Occupy Wall Street movement considers itself the voice of the 99 percent, the people not among the richest one percent of the population. But a new group has sprung up to oppose Occupy Wall Street. Calling itself the 53 percent, the group claims to speak for the 53 percent of Americans who pay federal income taxes.

'53 Percent' Origins

Mike Wilson, maker of "Michael Moore Hates America," started the 53 percent movement after seeing a photo of conservative blogger and CNN contributor Erick Erickson, editor of RedState online, holding up a note. The note describes Erickson as working 3 jobs, owning a home he can't sell, and facing outrageous insurance costs. Yet he says he doesn't blame Wall Street and is subsidizing those who are hanging out there complaining. Wilson started a Twitter hashtag #iamthe53.

53 Percent's Perspective

The perspective of the 53 percent of Americans shouldering the country's tax burden is presumably no more unified than that of Occupy Wall Street. But Wilson's group appeals to those who like him want to distance themselves from Occupy. He suggests they're a bunch of slackers looking for a handout. And he says the Occupy protests are really opposing the 53 percent not the 1 percent at the top of economic spectrum.

Erickson suggests that protesting K Street and Congress is okay, but not protesting Wall Street. What seems to really get his goat is Occupy members bashing those who have it better than them instead of directing frustrations at government policymakers.

53 Percent: Fact or Fantasy?

The New York Times pointed out last year the misleading nature of saying that 53 percent of Americans foot the bill for federal taxes. While the statistic is accurate with respect to federal income taxes, the Times said when you take into account payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security and other federal obligations like investment, gas and excise taxes, that number jumps. Taking the bigger picture into account, the Times says that only about 10 percent of American households pay no net federal taxes.

The 53 percent apparently isn't carrying the weight for quite so many Americans -- regardless of whether they're workers desperate for a job or slackers -- as the reliance on federal income tax data alone suggests.