Economist and actor Ben Stein said that he favors a higher income tax and that free college for the “genuinely poor, for those who are genuinely disciplined and hard-working” is “a great idea” on Tuesday’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on the Fox News Channel.
Initially, Stein stated, “Well, I think there’s never been a time in history when the poor were made rich by making the rich poor. And i don’t think it’ll work this time either. … And by the way, Hillary Clinton making fun of the rich is actually screaming funny. $250,000, $300,000 for a 45-minute speech. Give me a break.”
He continued, “There has never been a case in history where a poor person who is a slovenly, uneducated, lazy, undisciplined, drug addict got to be rich because of some wealthy person being taxed. … Many [of the poor] are fine, incredibly hard-working people and I love them, and by the way, I work with them when I go to Walmart, and they’re great, great people. But there are an awful lot of people who are slobs, drunks, drug addicts. No plan is going to help them. Their own discipline. Their own willingness to get an education, that will help them. Taking away from the rich is not going to help them.”
Stein then added, “By the way, it’s fine with me if they take away from the rich. I sign my income tax check with a smile,” but that this wouldn’t “make the poor rich.” He later and even said free college for people who are “genuinely poor, for those who are genuinely disciplined and hard-working” is “a great idea.”
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