Opinion: Critic Targets Jeff Bezos’ Income Tax Proposal

An opinion columnist criticized comments made by Jeff Bezos after the billionaire reportedly said people earning $70,000 annually should not pay federal income tax, according to remarks cited by CNBC.

Jeff Bezos’ reported remarks on income taxes sparked criticism from a political commentator. (Photo: Daniel Oberhaus 2019 Flickr)

Writing in the Hartmann Report, commentator Thom Hartmann argued that Bezos’ position could benefit wealthy business owners by lowering labor costs and reinforcing anti-tax sentiment.

Hartmann claimed the proposal would support arguments for lower taxes while shifting focus toward government spending cuts.

He also argued employers could theoretically lower wages if workers retained more take-home pay due to lower taxes.

The column also criticized efforts to reduce public spending on programs such as Medicaid, Social Security, transportation infrastructure, education, and regulatory oversight.