The Barbecue Principle

(cross-posted from Daily Kos)

Last night John Yarmuth, our excellent Dem rep from KY-03, spoke to the Metro Democratic Club. In answer to a question about the Bush tax cuts, and progressive taxes in general, he shared the Barbecue Principle. It's a wonderful story, an excellent sound bite, and really captures the concept in a nutshell. Make the jump to learn what it is.

First, some background. John is a well-known progressive from Louisville who founded our independent weekly, the LEO (Louisville Eccentric Observer). When he ran in 2006 against Anne Northup (R - McConnell), he made no bones about his political philosophy. "Look, it's no secret I'm a liberal -- now can we talk about the issues," was pretty much his attitude. So, his position on the Bush tax cuts (get rid of them for the wealthy, keep them for everyone else) is really not a surprise.

But while John is a liberal, some of his family are not. In fact, his brother and sister-in-law are life-long Republicans -- "rock-ribbed Republicans," as the saying goes. Jeff Yarmuth is co-owner of Sonny's Barbecue, a chain in Florida. Pretty much the last people one would expect to share John's views.

Imagine John's surprise, then, when in 2008 John got a call from his brother with some surprising news. Here is that conversation, and the statement of the Barbecue Principle, as told by John last night:

Jeff: "John, we've both maxed out to Obama, and we're voting straight Democratic this fall."

John: "Really? That's great! What led to your epiphany?"

Jeff: "We were talking about it, and we both came to the same conclusion --

"If people can't afford barbecue, it doesn't matter what my tax rate is."

::

When John told this last night, it got a laugh, and then applause, as it clearly encapsulates the dilemma we're in now. Let's hope that more Democrats can state the choices this clearly over the next sixty days.

Comments

[Steve Magruder]

There's another positive way of looking at progressive taxation: People who make more should be taxed at higher rates simply because they make (and have made) far greater use of government and community resources than those who make less. If anyone thinks that the wealthy don't get their own huge share of welfare in many forms, they are unaware or sadly mistaken.

[Billy Taylor]

Steve, think of it this way, the so called rich pay far more for them (government services) than those of us who pay far less in taxes. Have you forgotten that the so called rich pay the lion’s share of taxes now? John is another multimillionaire who cannot possibly understand the plight of the common working man. That is the non-government employed working man. Progressive taxation is an anchor to America’s way of life and what we stand for. Better for John and you also Steve, to look harder at the fair tax………. But we can’t do that, it’s far too simple a way of leveling the playing field and giving every American a chance to succeed with-out the fear of someone who does not work hard taking money from you. Read the Constitution, freedom at birth, taxed till death, only one part of these is in the founding documents. Which one, I guess it is a matter of prospective.