Why are republican voters ignorant about current (and past) tax policy?

I recently read a comment here by a user named TAT who claimed, and I quote:

"People who make 30k a year don't pay federal income tax. Try again. You really don't make sense."

Any person who has half the sense God gave a gently stewed rhubarb can ask a CPA that, if you're making $30k/year or less, you've been paying anywhere from 10%-15% since at least 2000, and 10%-18% the previous 20 years. The federal income tax rate for any amount of income has been a *minimum* of 10% or higher since 1932. Lord knows the years I made far less than $30K, I was definitely paying 10% of my income to federal income tax.

I also read this comment, from the same thread, by a user named Dana Poe:

"Republicans want to make taxes fair. Currently, the wealthier folks are paying OVER HALF of their income in taxes (can you imagine doing that?) so that they can make up for the people with lower income who are paying no taxes at all."

This comment, and the previous one by TAT, were posted here 4 weeks ago, at this answers page:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201108...

This is the kind of comment that really upsets me, because it shows a basic lack of intelligence and the ability to do research, or at minimum *think*, before you speak.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151...

As is shown, the "wealthier folks" haven't paid anywhere *near* a 50% rate for 25 years. And, as is documented back to 1913, the "people with lower income" have *always* paid federal income taxes. Always. Not a single year in that documented time frame has anyone had a 0% tax bracket. Not a single person. Certainly not the poor that people like Dana Poe seem to have great disdain for.

Now, some republican congresspeople are suggesting a new tax bracket be created just for the poor and elderly living on fixed incomes who actually make so little a year they get a refund come tax time. Republicans are basically saying, "Oh, you get a refund? Well we're specifically going to raise taxes on you and you alone so we can get that money too." They call it the "fair tax." And in the same breath, they rant and rave about preserving current tax levels (and even cutting them 10% more) for millionaires and billionaires. Yet the typical republican voter, who also falls in the national income average of around $50k/year, *still* thinks republicans are on their side. It boggles the mind.

Some even want to go to a 'flat rate' tax system where someone making $5 a year and someone making $5 billion a year both pay the exact same percentage rate. 10% isn't a drop in the bucket to a billionaire, but 10% of someone making $20k/year can mean they can't make their rent, or buy this month's groceries, or pay their house note, or their car note, or their health or car insurance, or keep the lights and water on. Why? Because billionaires and average working class alike still pay the same $2.50 for a loaf of bread.

A lot of republican voters think their taxes are the highest they've ever been. When, in fact, American tax rates are at their lowest level across the board in half a century. Documented facts prove this. IRS historical rates data proves this. Anyone with 5 minutes and a computer has this information readily available to them.

I've heard, many times, republicans tell me "wealthy folks" pay the vast majority of taxes. As Dana Poe said, "Currently, the wealthier folks are paying OVER HALF of their income in taxes..." How can anyone in their right mind make that kind of uninformed, completely ignorant to the facts kind of statement in this day and age?

Those "wealthier folks" have armies of lawyers, CPAs, and off-shore tax shelters they squeeze every last tax code loophole out of. Most start with today's highest rate of 33%, but end up only paying 10%-15% once their tax lawyers are done exploiting every loophole they can find. This kind of tax code exploitation is simply not available to the average working class American. They can't afford the plethora of lawyers and CPAs that dig these loopholes up. So we're stuck paying our full 10%, 15% and 25% rates while republicans and the "wealthier folks" complain that they have to pay all of less than half of their full rate.

Yet, statements like TAT's and Dana Poe's still manage to find their way out there.

So, again, why is it republican voters are this ignorant on current and past tax policy in this country?