As part of the fight for fair share tax reform, the Working Families Party is distributing a “top-secret political memo” written by the billionaire owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, C. Montgomery Burns. In the letter, Burns gleefully advocates “shutting down hospitals, laying off thousands of teachers and shredding social services” to close New York’s budget deficit.
Seemingly immune to economic downturns, Burns has, by his own account (in the episode “$pringfield”), “lived through twelve recessions, eight panics, and five years of McKinleynomics.” He once responded to an economic slump by pointing to plant employees and enthusiastically instructing Smithers to “lay off him, him, him, him…”
WFP is encouraging everyone, as is the UFT, to attend the Rally for New York at City Hall this Thursday, March 5 at 4 p.m.
Read the full memo after the jump.
Date: 2/26/09
From: Montgomery Burns
To: Fellow Fatcats
Re: Fair Share Tax ReformRich people didn’t get us into this mess. Ok, maybe we did. But that doesn’t change the facts: Taxes are for the little people.
New York is facing a $14 billion budget deficit. To close it, the Governor proposed shutting down hospitals, laying off thousands of teachers and shredding social services. It’s a fine plan.
But now, the commoners think they have a better idea. According to our sources, tens of thousands of them will ‘rally’ across the state demanding that (I can hardly type it!) the rich pay their fair share in taxes instead.
They must be stopped. It’s our duty to ensure no one attends or hears about these rallies. We are calling on you, our most loyal supporters, to do all you can to keep attendance down and press coverage nonexistent.
If the media reports that people are angry, their legislators may start asking dangerous questions, like: why does the state’s highest tax bracket start at just $20,000 a year?
So, my friends, I’m counting on you. Keep attendance low at the rallies with the help of a media blackout, don’t let your chauffeur take the day off, and consider throwing more money at politicians to get them to see things our way.
Sincerely,
Montgomery Burns
Billionaires Against Really Fair Taxation (BARF-Tax)
