Last night, I was a guest on Rise and Shine hosted by Laurie and Dan Purvis on The Word Radio. I was booked to discuss the protests on Wall Street and class warfare.

Are the protests a reaction to President Obama’s continuously demonizing the wealthy and calling on them to pay more in taxes. Is it a result of fanning the flames of class warfare?

We live in this exceptional country which provides us with the opportunity to pursue and enjoy the American Dream.

I looked at just who is paying the taxes in this country.

According to the US Treasury, the Office of Tax Analysis:

• 5% of the taxpayers paid 33.7% of the individual income taxes but earned only 30.6% of the income
• The top 1% of the taxpayers paid 33.7% of the individual income taxes in 2002 and paid more than 30% consistently since 1995
• 50% of the taxpayers pay virtually ALL of the individual income taxes (94%)
• How much do the lower income 50% of Americans pay in taxes? 4.1%

The Bush tax cuts (which included the lower tax rates, elimination of the marriage penalty and the $1,000 child tax credit) shifted more of the individual tax burden to higher income individuals.

It has been said no one is offered a job by the lower income Americans – and many considered wealthy are actually small businessmen and women.

If we want job creation and the opportunity to achieve the American dream, we need to stop putting the overwhelming burden on “the wealthy”.

-- Peggy Venable