By ELIZABETH HOVDE

Rich people: They're on my "what I'm thankful for" list. Always. If it weren't for them, after all, I wouldn't enjoy so many other items on my "what I'm thankful for" list. That list exists because of our nation's generosity with their money.

When it comes to income tax, a Pew Research Center report, using Treasury Department numbers, shows people with adjusted gross income above $250,000 account for only 2.7 percent of all returns filed but paid more than half of all individual income taxes. Their average tax rate was 25.7 percent. "By contrast, people with incomes of less than $50,000 accounted for 62.3% of all individual returns filed, but they paid just 5.7% of total taxes. Their average tax rate was 4.3%."

Even when all federal taxes are factored in -- including payroll taxes, which are often higher than a person's income tax -- the system as a whole is progressive. Pew Research Center confirms, "The top 0.1% of families pay the equivalent of 39.2% and the bottom 20% have negative tax rates (that is, they get more money back from the government in the form of refundable tax credits than they pay in taxes)."

Instead of thank you cards this Thanksgiving, however, "the rich" received a cornucopia of insults and barbs. They're being treated like villains in our societal conversation about tax reform, per usual. Oregon lawmakers added to the unhealthy bounty. After the House passed H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, on Nov. 16, many chose to fuel rampant class envy with careless comments about the tax plan moving through Congress.

The morning after the legislation passed, The Oregonian quoted reactions from the state's U.S. House members. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, called the tax cuts "an early Christmas gift to Donald Trump," a "monstrosity" and "stunning." He opposed the legislation for "trillions of reasons." Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Peter DeFazio were similarly animated, throwing the wealthy under the bus. Bonamici said, "This disastrous, partisan tax plan cuts rates for wealthy corporations and billionaires while leading to tax increases for about 38 million working families." In a Facebook video, DeFazio said in part, "This is an outrageous piece of work. I can't believe that they'll get away with this."

Democrat Kurt Schrader is quoted expressing concern about the bill not having enough input from minority Democrats and worrying it will inflate our nation's debt load. Those are legitimate, though debatable, concerns. The bill's economic impact will be subject to some wait-and-see.

I was glad to see U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, offer a different narrative than "only the rich benefit." That message is neither true nor beneficial, even if popular. Walden's take: "This is an important step forward to provide a tax code that works better for Oregonians and their families."

In another press release he points out that according to data from the Internal Revenue Service and reports from the nonprofit Tax Foundation, the act will positively impact Oregon by leading to creation of more than 12,000 jobs, raise after-tax income for middle-class families in Oregon by $2,602, increase the child-tax credit, bring tax relief to small businesses and nearly double the standard deduction -- which offsets the elimination of a state income tax deduction. Most taxpayers will also have a much simpler return to file.

Do the rich benefit from this tax plan? Yes. Tax cuts will hit people who pay the most taxes. Cutting income taxes for lower-income families, who already have no income-tax burden, isn't possible.

Asking whose taxes will go up and whose will go down is the wrong question, anyway. The right question, I think, is does this tax bill make things more fair -- knowing fair is not possible to run the country and isn't even being sought. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to shared resources when possible, and societal safety nets provide for those who cannot contribute. Away from entitlement attitudes and class envy, it's easy to see that.

When I look at tax pie charts each year and consider my tax picture, I know I owe a lot of rich people thank you cards.

Elizabeth Hovde's column appears the fourth Sunday of the month.