Russell Simmons: My employees pay more taxes than me

VIDEO - Media mogul Russell Simmons is no stranger to voicing his opinions on political issues...

Media mogul Russell Simmons is no stranger to voicing his opinions on political issues. On a recent episode of MSNBC’s Martin Bashir, Simmons expressed his disdain with middle and lower income citizens footing a larger share of taxes than the nation’s richest one percent.

“I believe in nation where everyone gets a fair share of the fruits of our labor and where everyone pays a fair share for what they receive,” said the chairman of Global Grind.

WATCH AT THE 2:00 MINUTE MARK FOR RUSSELL SIMMONS TAKE ON TAXES
[MSNBCMSN video=”http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640″ w=”592″ h=”346″ launch_id=”44722140″ id=”msnbc83c3ee”]

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Simmons is the latest celebrity to speak in favor of President Barack Obama’s “Buffett Rule”, which calls for a raise in taxes among the wealthy.

The rule is named for billionaire investor Warren Buffett who infamously stated last month that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. Buffett contends that the wealthiest Americans should pay a fair share when it comes to taxes and that doing so does not equate to class warfare on the rich.

Simmons, however, believe that class warfare on middle and lower income citizens is taking place in the country but at the hands of the rich.

The Def Jam founder went on to say that he believes the makings of an uprising similar to those that occurred in Egypt may be in the near future for the US if the economic disparities fueled by corporate interest in government and cuts to social programs are not addressed.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE