aplusmnt said:Tex said:I do believe in a progressive tax and I would like to see it more flattened as our country stops its overspending and lives within the taxes it recieves. I don't think you tax your way to prosperity, but neither do I believe that you borrow your way to prosperity.
We are talking about a distribution of the tax burden, not distribution of wealth--- that is a welfare program you are talking about, don't get them confused.
A person who makes 100 k per year has 65k to spend on themselves (really more because there are a lot of tax breaks like writing off your home interest, IRAs, other investments, etc) and a person making 10k only has 9,000 to spend on themsleves. The better the income, the more the ability to pay--- and to invest-- rather than just spending it all the necessities of food, shelter, clothing. They have much better opportunities to enjoy their earnings than some worker they hire for 10k per year as a housemaid. Would you rather the maid only got 6500?
My overall goal is to make govt. efficient, and opportunities for even the poor in society to make a decent living. It is not taxes---but tax policy should have social values considered, not just rich people's values because they are the ones paying off politicians.
I believe in fairness not the ability to pay. It is not fair for a person making more to have to pay 35% of their income and those making less pay 10%. Why should a boss pay 35% and a secretary pay 10%? Not all people are Warren Buffet with BILLIONS so the capital gains scenario skews the figures.
I will give you an example: I went to school since second grade with my best friend and best man at my wedding. After school he bummed around for a couple years while I went to college. Then after two years we both ended up working for the same company, he stayed for a year and me for a couple at 22 he was bouncing around doing construction jobs and I started my own business growing to 10 employees within a couple years.
Now years later we send our kids to same schools, we have the same police protecting us, we have the same fire department and drive the same HWY's but I pay taxes in a 15-20% higher tax bracket, maybe even more if you factor in his unearned income not sure how that all would work out on paper.
Tell me how it is fair because he goofed off in his 20's and 30's while I sacrificed and worked 80 hours a week at times to build a business in mine.
I say screw ability to pay, fair is fair. I should not have to pay a higher percentage of my wages than my friend to pay down a government debt any more than Bill Gates should not have to pay more than me.
Not all people in higher tax brackets are the same as Warren Buffet who has so much money his taxes become twisted due to Capital Gains. Most people are hard working motivated people trying to push into that 6 figure range.
Tell me, aplus, what did Jesus say about this subject?