That's rich! Tea Party lawmaker complains that he barely gets by on $600,000 a year... as it costs $200,000 just to feed his familyBy Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:24 PM on 20th September 2011
A Louisiana congressman who works as a doctor and owns several businesses is crying poverty over President Obama's tax plan, saying he's struggling to get by on the $400,000 left over after he feeds his family.
Rep John Fleming went on the attack on Monday, saying in an interview with MSNBC that the tax plan kills jobs by overtaxing business owners.
He said that higher taxes would slow job growth by making business owners less likely to reinvest to create new jobs.
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Tax plan rant: Rep John Fleming is crying poverty over President Obama's tax plan, saying he's barely getting by on the $400,000 left over after he feeds his family
Tax plan rant: Rep John Fleming is crying poverty over President Obama's tax plan, saying he's barely getting by on the $400,000 left over after he feeds his family
Fleming, a doctor who also owns several Subway and UPS franchises, said that while he pulls in $6.3million a year, much of it is devoted to paying his employees, reinvesting in his businesses and feeding his family.
'By the time I feed my family I have maybe $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment...'
- Rep. John Fleming
Rep Fleming told MSNBC's Chris Jansing: 'The actual net income is only a mere fraction of that amount.'
He added: 'My net income is more like $600,000 of that $6.3million... By the time I feed my family I have maybe $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment.'
Jansing then told the lawmaker that for the average American making between $40,000 and $60,000, it's tough to sympathize.
Rep Fleming retorted: 'Class warfare has never created a job.
'This is all about creating jobs, not about attacking people who make certain incomes.'
WITH $200,000, YOU CAN FEED YOUR FAMILY WITH...
* 51,413 boxes of Cheerios
* 28,612 gallons of milk
* 33,389 cans of Chock Full o'Nuts coffee
* 224,719 cups of Dannon yogurt
* 52,770 pounds of ground beef
* 80,321 cartons of eggs
* 62,696 loaves of bread
(Source: FreshDirect.com)
On his website, Fleming says of the economy: 'I have never believed in the fallacy that the federal government can buy its way out of economic troubles through needless spending.
'For that reason, I am proud to oppose "stimulus" packages and endless corporate bailouts, which will do little but weaken the long term integrity of the American economy.'
The average American household made just under $50,000 in 2010, according to ThinkProgress.org's Alex Seitz-Wald.
His congressional website says he’s been married to his wife Cindy for 33 years and has four adult children, as well as two grandchildren.
