Raising the minimum wage reduces employment and causes price inflation.
Minimum-wage jobs are most often held by teenagers.
Our government's annual deficits and total debt are due to social safety net spending.
Our deficit and public debt are the greatest threat to our national security.
Our government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
"Austerity" (lower taxes and lower government spending) leads to economic recovery and creates jobs. Tax cuts on higher incomes are especially effective in creating jobs.
Government regulations reduce employment (i.e. kill jobs).
Immigration and immigration reform, including citizenship for those who are undocumented, harm our society and our economy.
The Affordable Care Act takes health insurance away from people; will increase the debt and deficits; will reduce the ability of people to get the care they need; will reduce individual freedom; will kill jobs and harm the economy.
Social Security is bankrupt.
We're broke and can't afford the government we used to have.
The policies of the Obama administration have driven the debt higher, and spending is out of control under President Obama.
Unfortunately, this is hardly an exhaustive list of ultraconservative falsehoods. But, remember, no matter how many times you may hear these myths repeated, it will NEVER make them true. Whether it's in the local newspaper or on national TV channels, these things some people "know for sure....just ain't so." Worse still, this misinformation is spread to induce support for government policies that directly harm people, our society and our democracy, while serving only to enlarge the profits of corporations (especially polluters), Wall Street and the wealthy. These myths justify cuts to food assistance, education, Social Security, and local services like police and fire protection. They support the failure to extend unemployment benefits to over a million long-term unemployed, the failure to put people back to work upgrading aging infrastructure, and the failure to raise a minimum wage that has not kept up with inflation.
These myths also leave in the shadows over 10 million immigrants deserving of citizenship. They would take away our recent improvements in health care accessibility and quality. They call for spending cuts, while refusing to raise taxes on corporations and higher incomes to past levels capable of funding government services. Look in the mirror, Mr. and Ms. America. These tales you've been told to justify bad public policies either directly or indirectly hurt YOU. It's past time to bust those myths wide open.
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