A thread, last night:

Lindsey Simmons @LynzforCongress
US House candidate, MO-4
Let’s talk about this–the favorite fable of Republicans–That Democrats are socialists who want free stuff.

There is nothing “free.” We pay taxes.

My last full year of being an attorney I paid $50k in income tax alone. I’d like to get a return on that investment.
[….]
9:08 PM · Oct 9, 2020

The thread:

I’m paying for public schools that educate young minds so we have an educated workforce that can perform important jobs for billion dollar companies.

I’m subsidizing corporate workforce training.

I’d like to see a return on that investment.

2/

I’m paying for new roads all year long. Roads that are used by the transportation industry. Roads used by Amazon as it profits off of its “Prime” service while paying $0 in taxes.

I’m subsidizing Amazon’s business model.

I’d like to see a return on that investment.

3/

I’m paying for social service programs that go to help folks who aren’t paid a living wage. Helping them get healthcare and housing and other services every human being is entitled while companies like Wal-Mart maximize their profits instead of caring for their workers.

4/

I’m subsidizing their employment benefits.

I’d like to see a return on that investment.

I’d like to know why these industries can cut corners and why I’m expected to pay for it. I’d like to know why their taxes get less and less and mine only increase.

5/

And while I’m paying taxes I’m also giving the government thousands of dollars each month for student loan payments.

Because those same kinds of corporations paid politicians to lower their taxes before I was born. They defunded education. And left my ass with the bill.

6/

So I’m not only subsidizing them now as an adult–I’m subsidizing a tax break they were given when my parents were teenagers.

I’d like to see a return on all those investments.

7/

I’d like to see it in the form of universal healthcare for every single person.

I’d like to see it in the form of universal childcare.

I’d like to see it in the form of paid family leave.

I’d like to see it in the form of fully funded schools for every single kiddo.

8/

I’d like to see it in the form of a paid dividend.

My tax-dollars fund drug research and tech developments that every other investor makes bank on when they succeed but taxpayers get nothing.

We give and we give and we pay and we pay and we fight and fight just to survive.

9/

And the people who keep taking–the people who keep making the laws to benefit themselves and leave us behind–say we want “free stuff.”

No. I’ve paid.

Now, I’m here to collect.

10/10

Some of the responses:

Don’t take this wrong cause I 100% agree with you, but Mike is using the words “free stuff” as subtle racism, “only minorities get free stuff”. Our taxes support more white folks than minority folks these days. Pass it on.

It ironic america is the “Land of the Free” but most people don’t have access to basic health care, a yearly check up, some don’t even have clean tap water. Freedom to what poverty.

Taxes are the dues we pay to belong to the Civilization Club. If you want a government that functions and works for the People, it needs to be funded.

I’m a lefty and paid more taxes on a lowly journalist salary that Trump ever has paid as a self-described billionaire. I’ll show mine if he shows his.

If living in poverty @mikeparson is your idea of freedom and you have no empathy for those who have not been able to live with the kind of “freedom” you seem to think you have then your greed is showing. Stop going to that faux church you think will wash your sins away.

But they defend Trump when he doesn’t pay taxes. Trump is the biggest socialist in the country.

Taxation is the price we pay for civilization.

Mike Parson (r), thus:

Mike Parson @mikeparson
Governor candidate, MO
Elections are about choices, and the simple fact is that we are at a critical moment with two different paths.

I am confident that Missourians will choose the path of freedom this November — not free stuff.
8:34 PM · Oct 9, 2020·Sprout Social

“Free stuff,” like:

Because there are never any direct commercial flights between Kansas City or St. Louis and Miami? (February 3, 2020)

And then those trips on the state plane.

The comments addressed to Mike Parson (r):

Anyone who doesn’t want freedom is welcome to leave. America is the land of the free!

Is that second sentence about stuff? Just asking.

worrying about where your next paycheck is coming from isn’t “freedom.” not being able to feed your family isn’t “freedom.” dying from preventable disease isn’t “freedom.” your definition of freedom is actually suffering. what you call “free stuff” prevents suffering.

While Jeff City is Mike’s second home, SW to Bolivar folks saw him roam. It’s not terribly far; only 2 hours by car. His commutes he took by aerodrome. In abusing the taxpayer purse, only Donald Trump’s golfing was worse.

Heh.

I want a Governor that doesn’t think lower healthcare costs = free stuff.

Not free stuff, you mean the money we pay you all, taxes. It’s to help all, not just you

Like schools, healthcare, roads, etc. Things we pay taxes for that you keep cutting?

Just along as it doesn’t infringe on YOUR free stuff, right?

Seriously, what free stuff? The CARES money that my county health department is still waiting for? Free ad money? Free airplane rides? What am I getting for free?

What free stuff? There’s free stuff? You mean those basic social services we paid for, that we need, and that you keep cutting or do you mean the free corporate bailouts you all keep funding at the expense of taxpayer health and prosperity?

‘Free stuff’ – i.e. unemployment benefits to save working families in a pandemic – would go a long way toward keeping this country afloat.

Remember when we chose Medicaid expansion??

@Mikeparson is forgetting who pays a Governor’s paycheck. The government pays handouts to pharma, farmers, wall street, but do go on about these people who want free things

What do MO farmers think the bailout was?

What free stuff? I pay more taxes than Trump does and I’m a teacher.

You handed out covid for free all over my hometown, unmasked.

That’s not the pitch you made to the farmers @mikeparson

What in the actual heck are you talking about?

But you like free plane rides.

I mean, the rich folks are getting more and more “free stuff” every day — just ask the so-called billionaire who paid $750 in income tax and ZERO in income tax in 10 of the 15 years. So, I guess I don’t understand your point.

Yes, when I have to buy my own PPE for my classroom because you have cut education to the bone, the choices that I have are endless. Thank you.

You weren’t even elected to this office (“free stuff” indeed!), but you’ve used it to do extraordinary damage to Missouri and Missourians. Horrible person, horrible governor.

It’s not freedom or free stuff, Hayseed. It’s life or death. And you just don’t give a damn about Missourians. If you did, you’d wear a mask. It’s a simple fact.

Free stuff like the healthcare taxpayers give governors? Free stuff like your free travel paid for by taxpayers? That kind of free stuff? Free stuff like billions in tax cuts for billionaires? Free like a home paid for by taxpayers? That kind of free?

So does that mean you’re gonna stop giving tax breaks to large corps for no reason?

How offensive that you consider state services that we fund via our state taxes ‘free stuff’. And this freedom talk is a false choice and nothing more than an empty platitude.

So, any service paid with taxes is “free stuff.” You are a simple minded rube, Mike.

Here we are.