Quick summary: People making $250K a year cannot afford their own private jets, and Obama likely knows that. But this is the game. Get popular support for raising taxes on those making $250K per year based portraying them as enormously wealth "jet-owner" types and stirring up a little class warfare. – Ilene
Obama Calls People Earning $250,000 a Year ‘Jet Owners’
President Obama has a new term for the people he wants to tax more: jet owners.
In his news conference today, the president said: “I think it’s only fair to ask an oil company or a corporate jet owner that’s doing so well to give up that tax break….I don’t think that’s real radical.”
- (Courtesy of JetSuite Air)
Asking private-jet owners to give up tax breaks may not be that radical. And it probably would be supported by the vast majority of the nonjet-owning voters.
The problem is that most of the people that would be subject to the higher taxes the president wants aren’t likely to be private-jet owners. Someone earning $250,000 a year–among those scheduled for a tax increase in 2012–is unlikely to afford a jet–or even a few charter trips on a jet.
For those, like the president, who may not be well-versed in Jetonomics, here are some of the basics. The numbers come courtesy of Jay Duckson at Central Business jets:
