About that 47 percent.
"47% of the people in this country live on some kind of social welfare program and don't pay taxes."
First, you're misquoting. Mitt said 47% of people don't pay FEDERAL INCOME taxes. (He also misquoted; it's 47% of HOUSEHOLDS, not people.) Most of those pay other taxes - sales, property, gasoline, and state income, along with the 'not a tax' Social Security deduction. Plenty of working people don't pay income taxes because the tax law doesn't require them to. The tax law doesn't require Romney to pay the full income tax rate on his investment income either; what's the difference if all are obeying the law? If the law permits a lower or no tax rate, that isn't Romney or the non-payers' faults; it's that of Congress, who passed the laws.
Second and worse, you're perpetuating Mitt's mistaken assumption that if a person doesn't pay federal income taxes then he or she must by default be on welfare. Some of those legally not paying income tax including retirees; others are lower ranking enlisted military personnel. While it indeed ridiculous and sad that we don't pay soldiers enough for them to be in the minimum tax bracket, I don't think they are who you meant.
We differ on raising taxes. I don't see any way we can balance the budget, much less start paying down the debt, without raising taxes, and not just on the 1%. I'll state publicly and for the record that I'm willing to have mine raised IF that increase is mandated for debt reduction. I'm also willing to have my Social Security deduction increased, benefits reduced, and retirement age raised IF Congress pays back the IOUs it's written to the SSA and explicitly bans itself from writing any more.
