Tuesday, January 22, 2008
MITT ROMNEY
In Florida, Romney Says Cut Payroll Tax on Those Over 65
This proposal from Mitt Romney should be spectacularly popular in Florida.
Romney also wants to eliminate the Social Security payroll tax for workers over 65.
"I want people who are over 65 to stay in the workforce," he told an audience in Daytona. "They've already paid for Social Security. Why make them keep paying and paying and paying?"
The Social Security proposal would also free businesses from paying their portion of the payroll tax on workers over 65.
Romney did not say how, or whether, he would replenish the payroll tax proceeds that currently flow into the Social Security trust funds.
It's also a fantastic pander.
Coming on the heels of his $20 billion to help-the-auto-industry plan - which some righty folks liked, some didn't — Romney's going to have to be careful to avoid the image that he's a guy who comes along with a specially-tailored economic stimulus plan that just happens to be great news for whatever key demographic he needs to reach at any particular given moment.
(Survey USA puts the Republican vote among seniors Giuliani 20 percent, Huckabee 7 percent, McCain 31percent, Romney 29 percent, and Thompson 5 percent.)
UPDATE: Team Romney writes in, "Jim, in these challenging economic times, seniors may need to re-enter the workforce. Making it so working seniors and their employers don’t have to pay payroll taxes will make it easier for seniors to enter the workforce and relieve their economic hardship."
01/22 11:23 AM
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