All over the country, a Main Street Movement composed of hard-working middle class Americans is fighting back against right-wing attacks on their labor rights and social services, arguing that they shouldn’t be the only ones to have to sacrifice for budget deficits created largely by a Great Recession caused by Wall Street.
As ThinkProgress previously reported, one of the nation’s worst tax dodgers is Bank of America, which paid a grand total of $0.00 in federal corporate income taxes in 2009. A UK-inspired group calling itself US Uncut has been demanding that tax dodgers like Bank of America pay their taxes so that the poor and the middle class aren’t the only ones asked to sacrifice in order to balance budgets.
Yesterday, the megabank held its investor conference in New York City. At one point during the meeting, activists from US Uncut disrupted the proceedings and unfurled a banner demanding that Bank of America pay its taxes. “Bank of America: Pay your taxes! When you don’t pay your taxes, we have to fire teachers and firefighters and public servants. You’re a Tax Dodger,” US Uncut activist Ryan Clayton exclaimed. “You’re bad for America. Pay your taxes. Tax dodger! Bank of America is a tax dodger. Pay your taxes. Do you pay your taxes? I do. Why doesn’t this company?” Watch it:
It’s also worth noting that while Bank of America has continued to exploit the tax code to dodge their taxes, they’ve been the recipient of billions of dollars of government aid and guarantees. During an interview with ThinkProgress, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty (R) didn’t appear bothered by the bank’s tax dodging. Even after repeatedly being told Bank of America isn’t paying any taxes, all Pawlenty had to say was that the corporate tax rate was “too high.”
No comments:
Post a Comment