Reagan and Taxes
At the same time, he has been quoted as supporting progressive taxation and showed it in his policy proposals too. But, that's a politician for you
This is a longer quote from a speech Reagan made in 1985.
last week I unveiled our proposal to make the Federal tax system fairer, clearer, and less burdensome for all Americans. Now, someone might say it's odd to talk about tax policy with young people in their teens. But I don't think so. You not only understand what taxes are, what effect they have in the average person's life, but if you don't understand, you will pretty soon when you get your first job. I know some of you already have part-time jobs, and I know you keep your eye on the part of the check that shows what Uncle Sam is taking out.
What we're trying to do is change some of those numbers. We want the part of your check that shows Federal withholding to have fewer digits on it. And we want the part that shows your salary to have more digits on it. We're trying to take less money from you and less from your parents.
And whatever you and they do with this additional money will not only help you, it will help the whole country by making our entire economy stronger. Maybe you'll take some of the money and put it in the bank. Fine. You'll earn interest on your savings, and you'll also make more money available for others to borrow, to expand their business, or improve their home. Maybe you'll spend it. And that's fine, too, although I hope you don't spend it all. But what you spend will increase demand for various products. And that will help create jobs. But whatever you do with it, you'll be the one who's doing the doing. You'll make the decisions. You'll have the autonomy. And that's what freedom is.
When taxes are lowered, economic growth follows. And economic growth is good for just about everyone, especially the poor. It gives them a ladder they can use to climb out of poverty. And for those who aren't poor, but who are by no means rich—and that's most of the people in America—economic growth gives them options they never had before. When you and your parents and friends are allowed to keep more of the fruits of your labors, a whole new world of options will open up for you.
You'll be better situated to pay for college. You'll be able to save and pool your money with friends and maybe even start a small local business. I knew a fellow who once bought into a little hamburger stand out west. He was just a regular guy, but he worked hard and advertised, and the little stand prospered. You may have heard of it. It's called McDonald's. I was thinking about Ray Kroc recently and how the jingle that he uses applies to our tax program: "You deserve a break today." And tomorrow, too, and for the rest of your life.
And we're trying to give a break, a much deserved, long-overdue break, to the American family. I'll tell you how strange America's current tax laws are. They allow a deduction of only slightly more than $1,000 for every dependent person in your family. Now, if you think about what it costs for your parents to put food on the table and buy you everything from books to braces, you know that $1,000 doesn't even make a dent in it. We're going to virtually double that exemption to $2,000 with increases if inflation occurs. But it'll go a long way toward encouraging families again and giving your parents the break they deserve.
We're going to close the unproductive tax loopholes that have allowed some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share. In theory, some of those loopholes were understandable, but in practice they sometimes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing, while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary, and that's crazy. It's time we stopped it.
And the way I see it, if our current tax structure were a TV show, it would either be "Foul-ups, Bleeps, and Blunders," or "Gimme a Break." If it were a record album, it would be "Gimme Shelter." If it were a movie, it would be "Revenge of the Nerds" or maybe "Take the Money and Run." And if the IRS, Internal Revenue Service, ever wants a theme song, maybe they'll get Sting to do, "Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you."
What we're trying to move against is institutionalized unfairness. We want to see that everyone pays their fair share, and no one gets a free ride. Our reasons? It's good for society when we all know that no one is manipulating the system to their advantage because they're rich and powerful. But it's also good for society when everyone pays something, that everyone makes a contribution.
After all, we're all citizens, equal in the eyes of the law, and equal in the eyes of God. You're given a lot of benefits when you're born in the U.S.A, but you're given a responsibility, too, a responsibility to do your part and become a contributing member of the American family and an equal partner in America, Incorporated. When you pay your taxes, you buy your shares. And every year you get to vote on who should be on the board of directors.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=38734
There is nothing in there about soaking the rich. There is no class warfare rhetoric. He does make the case for simplifying the tax code to make it fairer. When Reagan used the words it does not mean the same thing as when the Marxist Obama uses it.