ANALYSIS: Conservative Budget Alternative Saves Average CEO $1.5 Million Every Year
ANALYSIS: Conservative Budget Alternative Saves Average CEO $1.5 Million Every Year
Earlier this month, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), ranking Republican on the House budget committee, published an alternative proposal to the Obama budget in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. The plan: doubling down on Bush-style economics.
Like the Bush tax cuts, Congressman Ryan and his allies in Congress would cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and reject public investment or a fairer tax code that would ensure broadly shared prosperity.
The Center for American Progress Action Fund finds that Congressman Ryan’s proposals would cut taxes for the average CEO by $1.5 million per year and do nothing at all for a minimum wage worker.
Ryan calls for lowering the 35%, 33% and 28% income tax brackets to 25%, eliminating the capital gains tax, and cutting the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%. These hugely regressive tax cuts would extend the Bush economic strategy of massive tax cuts for the wealthy and gutted government revenue.
In 2008, the average CEO of one of America’s largest 800 companies made $3.3 million in salary and bonuses, $6.3 million in stock gains, and $3.2 million in “other compensation” for a total of $12.8 million. Under Ryan’s plan, the average CEO’s $6.5 million in paid income would drop from a marginal tax rate of 35% to 25% and his $6.3 million in stock gains would go from being taxed at 15% to being totally tax free. This tax change would save these CEO’s over $1.5 million every year.
A minimum wage worker, however, making around $15,000/year, would see no benefit at all from these proposed tax changes. They already only pay federal income taxes in the 10% marginal tax bracket, are unlikely to have any capital gains, and would thus see no change under the conservative budget plan.
The Bush tax cuts ushered in almost a decade of tepid economic growth and stagnant wages for American families. Ryan says he and his fellow conservatives are offering to be “part of the solution, not part of the problem.” Why, then, are they only offering more of the same?
Methodology notes after the jump.
Taxable income after deductions and exemptions is approximately 88 percent of adjusted gross income for taxpayers making over $10 million per year, according to IRS data. We assume these CEOs are typical of earners in this income range. We also assume that “other compensation” is taxed as paid income, although if it were taxed as capital gains, these CEO’s would save even more.
5 Responses to “ANALYSIS: Conservative Budget Alternative Saves Average CEO $1.5 Million Every Year”
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This is disaster capitalism at its best. Global corporatists want to drive down taxes, worker pay/benefits and regulation to the lowest global common denominator.
The implied threat is the big money boys will take their capital and run.
http://peureport.blogspot.com/2009/03/big-money-boys-gather-at-wsjs-future-of.html
Watch to see if Congress lets them bolt with taxpayer supplied capital.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:13 pmWas there any analysis of how the other tax brackets would fare? Or was the 10% minimum wage group the only group who did not benefit from this plan? (they also are the group that pays the least in taxes) The article smells a bit like selective journalism, – it doesnt show any group getting harmed, it only shows that no one is getting hurt with this plan. A plan that doesn’t injure anyone sounds like a good plan to me.
March 25th, 2009 at 5:40 pmI believe people with an income over $250,000 should pay a 50% bringing them down to the level of the working people.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:16 pm“A plan that doesn’t injure anyone sounds like a good plan to me.”
But it would hurt everyone — in the form of massively-cut government revenue. We have a deficit as is, and there’s no politically-viable way even the most right-wing Republican can cut spending enough to balance the budget.
Despite massive spending in Obama’s budget as it stands, at least it projects some sort of deficit-cutting goal (however unrealistic it may be.) The Republican’s plans offers no numbers projections whatsoever, and until it does we can’t compare the merits.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:17 pmWell, yes. Democrats have succeeded in establishing a tax code that is so lopsided that the only way to more towards more equality is by cutting the taxes of the better off. After all, they’re the ones that pay the taxes! So now we’ve gotten in a ridiculous situation where any real tax cuts are going to produce much teeth gnashing about cutting taxes for the wealthy and not giving a break to the poor. That’s because — outside of payroll taxes — their tax liability is incredibly small!
Congrats Democrats, this really is political genius on your part.
March 28th, 2009 at 9:48 am