you make it so simple for the layman to understand. you're a real good human being. extremely comprehensive, logical and may i say truthful. God Bless!
I subscribed.
leearnold(Saturday 8th of November 2008 03:55:29 PM)
Where is the error? In three years things got worse!
In 2007, the TOP 20% of the population (making over about $97,000) pulled in about 55% of the income, paid about 88% of the individual income tax, and paid about 40% of the payroll tax.
The BOTTOM 80% (making under $97,000) made 45% of the income, paid 12% of the income tax, and paid 60% of the payroll tax.
The TOP 1% of the population made almost 20% of the income, paid 37% of the income tax, and around 4% of the payroll tax.
narutofan1108(Saturday 8th of November 2008 10:20:09 PM)
so you are not with Ron Paul on this I see.
leearnold(Sunday 9th of November 2008 12:06:03 AM)
We all want individual freedom, and the economy can't work without private property. But society can't work without big government, due to the increasing complexity of the world -- the market system can't solve that.
I believe that the distribution of income and wealth will always be a steep pyramid by its nature, and that your position in it will be based partly on skill, but also based partly or even mostly on luck. So I also believe that taxation should be steeply progressive.
Theman77779(Monday 10th of November 2008 12:41:01 PM)
leearnold
Or the government should just do less the we don't need such high taxes. Also higher taxes mean less gain as we saw under Reagan and more economic growth which help all.
Now I agree the Bush tax cuts are bad and should be replaced by the needed flat tax. Why do part of my taxes go to pay farmers still. Why pay welfare when that same money can make new jobs? Everyone should pay a low flat tax.
leearnold(Monday 10th of November 2008 01:22:59 PM)
Saying that the government "should just do less" is easier than saying how to make it happen, successfully and without damage.
Despite libertarian delusion, no one is really running around trying to make government bigger. Nobody likes big government.
Reagan cut taxes but CONTINUED big government spending, thus running-up a huge deficit. That is why the economy did well: "Borrow and spend."
"Flat tax" means everybody pays the same rate. That would be very unfair to the poor and middle class.
Matt482942(Tuesday 23rd of December 2008 03:43:43 PM)
its not like the top 5 % are stealing the money. They earn it because they are bussiness men and captians of industry.
leearnold(Tuesday 23rd of December 2008 06:50:13 PM)
Actually, much of the economic growth in the topmost tiers, last several years, has been the FINANCIAL INDUSTRY: Wall Street. It looks like some of these people were stealing, big-time -- while all the rest of them avoided deflating the obvious bubble; a sort of culpability, yes.
Matt482942(Tuesday 23rd of December 2008 03:40:49 PM)
Well. isnt it logical that the top classes would pay less % of the total taxes because they are very few amount of people.
Shouldnt the middle class be paying the most % of the total taxes because they are the most numerous people?
leearnold(Tuesday 23rd of December 2008 06:43:08 PM)
Relating percentage of taxes paid to the numerical size of the group is not logical-- and in my own opinion it is also not ethical, given the way the whole system is treating the rest of the people. I am not for flat incomes, however. People should definitely get proportional and partly self-justified rewards.
