Quote:
Originally Posted by Space_Coyote
Nobody wants to "hose" the poor, but making them pay their fair share (ie, the same percentage of their income as the rest of us) would be a nice start. I don't owe them anything more than they owe me, so why exactly am I paying for their food, housing, medicine, AND paying a higher tax rate? Seems to me that those recieving government assistance should be the ones paying for the services, be it through dollars or days of service.
|
Fair point, and "flat tax" ideas sound the most fair, on the surface. The only thing I have concerns about is that 10% from someone making $25,000/year is qualitatively different than from someone making $250,000. There's some sort of liveable bottom line somewhere that I think gets lost in the quest for "fairness".
I also think that there is a duty to give back to the society that enabled such wealth, and I see nothing wrong, in principle, with higher rates on richer folk. But, that's more of a philisophical issue than an economic one.
Personally, I think my tax rate is about right, at roughly 28%, neither burdensome, nor do I feel I am freeloading. It's a privilege to live in the United States, and I pay my just dues for it.