--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the weakness of the middle class is…" description: "\"“the weakness of the middle class is holding back tax receipts, especially because those at the top are so adroit in avoiding taxes and in getting Wash..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg" --- # the weakness of the middle class is holding back tax… ![“the weakness of the middle class is holding back tax receipts, especially because those at the top are so adroit in avoiding taxes and in getting Washington to give them tax breaks.” quote by David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg) > ““the weakness of the middle class is holding back tax receipts, especially because those at the top are so adroit in avoiding taxes and in getting Washington to give them tax breaks.”” [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Middle‑class weakness reduces tax revenue; the wealthy exploit loopholes and secure breaks. **In simple terms:** Middle class weak, rich avoid taxes. Key Takeaway Advocate fair tax reforms. Themes economics tax policy inequality Mood concerned determined Type analytical policy‑oriented When to use this quote - legislative advocacy - policy analysis - public education Key Concepts tax avoidance public finance Questions to Reflect On - How can middle‑class tax base be strengthened? - What measures curb elite tax avoidance? A Different Perspective Reforms face political resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoiding Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding-taxes-1831894/) [Holding Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-tax-4551869/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Tax breaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-breaks/) [Tax Receipts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-receipts-448597/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [Higher projected corporate and personal income tax receipts and lower public debt charges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-goodale/higher-projected-corporate-and-personal-income-tax-receipts-and-lower/) [Ralph Goodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-goodale/) > [The black money issue should not be misunderstood as one of merely avoiding taxes. It is, in fact, a major systemic crime of denying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subramanian-swamy/the-black-money-issue-should-not-be-misunderstood-as-one-of-merely/) [Subramanian Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subramanian-swamy/) > [We don't have any miraculous way of avoiding taxes at Wesco and Berkshire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-don-t-have-any-miraculous-way-of-avoiding-taxes-at-wesco-and/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [In order to invest in our future, we must ensure that we appropriately protect programs that provide skills, services, and education for middle-class Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-tierney/in-order-to-invest-in-our-future-we-must-ensure-that-we-appropriately/) [John F. Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-tierney/) > [Even tax breaks that are supposed to help the middle class too often skew toward the wealthy. Consider the mortgage interest deduction. While political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/even-tax-breaks-that-are-supposed-to-help-the-middle-class-too-often/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [The middle class should not continue to foot the bill for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/the-middle-class-should-not-continue-to-foot-the-bill-for-tax-breaks/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [First of all, I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut. I don't have a tax cut of a scale that you're talking about.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/first-of-all-i-don-t-have-a-5-trillion-tax-cut-i-don-t-have-a-tax-cut/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [If you don't try to generate more revenues through tax reform, if you don't ask, you know, the most fortunate Americans to bear a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-geithner/if-you-don-t-try-to-generate-more-revenues-through-tax-reform-if-you/) [Timothy Geithner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-geithner/) > [Today's tax cuts provide yet another illustration of the Republicans' fiscally irresponsible economic policies that ignore the needs of America's middle class, students, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-tauscher/today-s-tax-cuts-provide-yet-another-illustration-of-the-republicans/) [Ellen Tauscher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-tauscher/) > [The idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle class taxpayers - that's an old idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-idea-that-more-taxes-and-more-government-spending-is-the-best-way/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [And let me make this very clear - unlike President Obama, I will not raise taxes on the middle class. As president, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/and-let-me-make-this-very-clear-unlike-president-obama-i-will-not/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [While Donald Trump was busy with his accountants trying to figure out how to keep living like a billionaire, and all the while he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/while-donald-trump-was-busy-with-his-accountants-trying-to-figure-out/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [It should be mandatory that any tax breaks go through appropriate committees and be voted on separately by both the House of Representatives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/it-should-be-mandatory-that-any-tax-breaks-go-through-appropriate/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [I think tax breaks for diversity is a good thing. In film now, what happens is you get huge tax breaks if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/i-think-tax-breaks-for-diversity-is-a-good-thing-in-film-now-what/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) ## More by David Cay Johnston > [“Wage insurance works best when all workers are covered under the same plan and the coverage starts at the beginning of their working lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/wage-insurance-works-best-when-all-workers-are-covered-under-the-same/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Pope Francis I, denouncing “an economy of exclusion,” has made inequality a centerpiece of his reign: Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/pope-francis-i-denouncing-an-economy-of-exclusion-has-made-inequality/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“We have created a society in which all the nation’s economic gains flow to the top and the vast majority sees income stagnation or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/we-have-created-a-society-in-which-all-the-nation-s-economic-gains/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [Congress is supposed to fund the IRS, and it has been steadily reducing the number of auditors and tax collectors the IRS has at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/congress-is-supposed-to-fund-the-irs-and-it-has-been-steadily/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“By 2012 the average income of the vast majority had shrunk to the equivalent of 45 weeks of 1973 income—a 13 percent decline to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/by-2012-the-average-income-of-the-vast-majority-had-shrunk-to-the/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“No person, I think, ever saw a herd of buffalo, of which a few were fat and the great majority lean. No person ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/no-person-i-think-ever-saw-a-herd-of-buffalo-of-which-a-few-were-fat/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“The worst of these are laws in nineteen states that let companies pocket the state income taxes withheld from their workers’ paychecks for up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-worst-of-these-are-laws-in-nineteen-states-that-let-companies/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“it shouldn’t be the case that the only route out of poverty is to get married to someone who also has a job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/it-shouldn-t-be-the-case-that-the-only-route-out-of-poverty-is-to-get/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Halliburton’s is a more extreme example, one in which a powerful and wealthy company transcends national borders so thoroughly that it is not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/halliburton-s-is-a-more-extreme-example-one-in-which-a-powerful-and/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“The real income reported on federal tax returns by the vast majority of Americans, the 90 percent, doubled between the end of the war and 1973.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-real-income-reported-on-federal-tax-returns-by-the-vast-majority/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [You, as a wage earner have to pay your taxes every year on your income for that year. So if you have a one-time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/you-as-a-wage-earner-have-to-pay-your-taxes-every-year-on-your-income/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Social Security gives concrete expression to widely held and time-honored American commitments. Grounded in values of shared responsibility and concern for all members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/social-security-gives-concrete-expression-to-widely-held-and-time/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“The anthropologist Elliot Liebow observed it in the men he chronicled in Tally’s Corner, his insightful 1967 book on the lives and attitudes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-anthropologist-elliot-liebow-observed-it-in-the-men-he-chronicled/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“One change we believe should be made is increasing the maximum amount of wages on which Social Security’s contributions are assessed. Contributions are assessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/one-change-we-believe-should-be-made-is-increasing-the-maximum-amount/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“Not surprisingly, this huge American “industry” has huge political clout—with the expansion of prosecutorial and correctional workers’ power, the growing number of lobbyists for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/not-surprisingly-this-huge-american-industry-has-huge-political-clout/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) [Explore all 67 David Cay Johnston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) ## More Middle class quotes > [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are not going back to the failed policies of the past. We are fighting for the middle class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-are-not-going-back-to-the-failed-policies-of-the-past-we-are/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Aristocratic depression has this cosmic dimension to it, where it's asking these big questions about, "Why?" "What is the purpose of all this?" Neuroses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-douglas/aristocratic-depression-has-this-cosmic-dimension-to-it-where-it-s/) [Lawrence Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-douglas/) > [The Democrats have been there for working people in our country. That's who we are, trickle-down vs. middle-class economics. That's the major difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/the-democrats-have-been-there-for-working-people-in-our-country-that/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [If you read the 'Daily Mail,' you would imagine that the British middle classes lead lives of unremitting misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/if-you-read-the-daily-mail-you-would-imagine-that-the-british-middle/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [“They had tried to reproduce their own attitude to life upon the stage, and to dress up as the middle-class English people they actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/they-had-tried-to-reproduce-their-own-attitude-to-life-upon-the-stage/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [I wasn't the smartest in school - I was always sort of middle of the class - but when it came to football, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-wilson/i-wasn-t-the-smartest-in-school-i-was-always-sort-of-middle-of-the/) [Harry Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-wilson/) > [The family of my mother had a lot of money; the family of my father, nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charo/the-family-of-my-mother-had-a-lot-of-money-the-family-of-my-father/) [Charo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charo/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [Poor and most middle-class people believe "If I have a lot of money, I could do what I want and I'd be a success."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/poor-and-most-middle-class-people-believe-if-i-have-a-lot-of-money-i/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. As family life, it was very conventional, happy, and comfortable. We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [When in one area of the world the standard of living and the size of the middle class increases, it is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-in-one-area-of-the-world-the-standard-of-living-and-the-size-of/) [Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/) > [The benefit of living in a free society is that we all have the choice to be rich, poor, or middle class. The decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-benefit-of-living-in-a-free-society-is-that-we-all-have-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) [Browse all 2,050 Middle class quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“the weakness of the middle class is holding back tax receipts, especially because those at the top are so adroit in avoiding taxes and in getting Washington to give them tax breaks.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Cay Johnston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-holding-back-tax-receipts/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Middle class" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-holding-back-tax-receipts/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/david-cay-johnston-10155_middle-class_the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-hold_1344304.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“the weakness of the middle class is holding back tax receipts, especially because those at the top are so…” — David Cay Johnston", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Cay Johnston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“the weakness of the middle class...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-holding-back-tax-receipts/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/the-weakness-of-the-middle-class-is-holding-back-tax-receipts/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```