We don't hate rich people

[finnbow]

Dubya never could seem to locate his veto pen.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Dubya never could seem to locate his veto pen.

We don't disagree on that.

Now, if we can find more common ground on the other portion of my post that suggests that the "rich" are already paying more - in aggregate and as a percentage of income - than the "99%", we could then move on to the real issues, like how to get this economy moving again. Until we can address that issue and take people's emotions out of the game and get them to think, we're stuck in neutral.

Then again, that's likely what the Politico's like. Keep the citizens fighting with each other and not noticing how they're the ones robbing us.

[simi]

lol.. yeah right the rich pay more... huge corperations are getting tax write off's left and right, and paying nothing in many cases..

While the Rich might appear to be paying a larger percentage, they aren't. They have huge loopholes they are swimming through to pay a very small percentage of their fair share..

When you get as many rich people as I've seen since OWS has cropped up saying these people are right, we don't pay near as much in taxes as the middle class percentage wise, and saying to tax their selves, and the other rich more, then you know there is something wrong with the system.

[whell]

Originally Posted by simi

lol.. yeah right the rich pay more... huge corperations are getting tax write off's left and right, and paying nothing in many cases..

Especially if they're friendly with the Obama administration, like GE for instance...

Originally Posted by simi

While the Rich might appear to be paying a larger percentage, they aren't. They have huge loopholes they are swimming through to pay a very small percentage of their fair share..

When you get as many rich people as I've seen since OWS has cropped up saying these people are right, we don't pay near as much in taxes as the middle class percentage wise, and saying to tax their selves, and the other rich more, then you know there is something wrong with the system.

Did you even read my post? The so-called rich are paying more as a percentage of the share of revenue collected by the US Treasury. The Bush tax cuts lowered the top marginal rates, but also closed many of the loopholes that you're so mad about.

You're right, something is wrong with the system. When we base tax policy on emotion rather than logic, on political payola rather than actual funding considerations, you get the bloody mess that is the US tax code.

[simi]

Ya know.. I've always kinda wondered if they just went to the same fixed rate for everyone..

Then only reason I say that and wonder how it would work out is because I know at least a few states do that.. like if I remember right Illinois was a flat 3% across the board for everyone for state tax.. no matter how little or much you made a year. Well.. they may have had a bottom limit to keep from taxing the super poor.. Ben too long to remember it all.. but it was a flat rate..

[whell]

Originally Posted by simi

Ya know.. I've always kinda wondered if they just went to the same fixed rate for everyone..

Then only reason I say that and wonder how it would work out is because I know at least a few states do that.. like if I remember right Illinois was a flat 3% across the board for everyone for state tax.. no matter how little or much you made a year. Well.. they may have had a bottom limit to keep from taxing the super poor.. Ben too long to remember it all.. but it was a flat rate..

Here's the problem with a one-rate system:

- It doesn't allow the politicos to use the tax system for social engineering, or to pick winners and losers in business and/or society
- It restricts the ability of politicos to use the tax system to dish out tax breaks for campaign contributors
- It doesn't punish achievers, and doesn't allow the politicos to demonize and demagog about the "less fortunate", or about those who "aren't paying their fair share."
- It can't can't be easily tweaked and modified whenever the political winds blow in a different direction.

That's why I like it, and that's probably why it'll never happen.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Here's the problem with a one-rate system:

- It doesn't allow the politicos to use the tax system for social engineering, or to pick winners and losers in business and/or society
- It restricts the ability of politicos to use the tax system to dish out tax breaks for campaign contributors
- It doesn't punish achievers, and doesn't allow the politicos to demonize and demagog about the "less fortunate", or about those who "aren't paying their fair share."
- It can't can't be easily tweaked and modified whenever the political winds blow in a different direction.

That's why I like it, and that's probably why it'll never happen.

These very attributes could be shared by a system with progressive rates of taxation. It's the deductions, credits, and differing treatment of various types of income (e.g., dividends, capital gains) that is the problem, not the rates per se.

[Twodogs]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Dubya never could seem to locate his veto pen.

That's the only thing I fault the man for.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Twodogs

That's the only thing I fault the man for.

I have a longer list.

In my book, about the only thing he did right was to rescind the Clinton administration's last minute unworkable OSHA regulation on ergonomics. He did this in the first month. It was downhill after that, sometimes quite steeply IMHO.

[Charles]

Are we transcending "that awkward stage" which Claire Wolf spoke about?

Chas