[okie01]

I actually agree with this. Money earned from real work should be taxed at a lower rate than income not tied to the sweat of the brow. Let's encourage innovation, not golfing.

You actually think that "real work" is not involved in income generated by investments? That no research is done, that no studying is required, that no alternatives are examined, that no investigations are performed, that no careful monitoring is involved, that no management effort is required?

How do you think innovation occurs, if not thru investment?

Not to mention that funds employed in investment have already been taxed...at least once...as ordinary income earned.

Understand the "the idle rich" is generally a misnomer -- except in the case of so-called trust fund babies, most of whom are Democrats, anyway. Moreover, the "idle rich" constitute a microscopic proportion of what you would evidently call "rich". The rest of them are working hard for every penny -- perhaps even harder than you.

[Cincinna]

Very true. I know many people who are independently wealthy and who work 50 + hours a week. Either continuing in their profession or doing volunteer work.
The “idle rich” is a Democrat myth, and applies to mostly Democrats.

[Lexinom]

We haven't taken a dime in investment, and we have a working end-to-end prototype. I've lost everything I own in the process - my marriage, my car, my home, and most recently, thousands of hours of music I'd written. I have nothing else, and have not asked a free ride from anyone.

The concept of taking money I did not earn is completely alien to the way I was raised. Sorry.

Crowdsourcing models like Kickstarter and IndieGogo present an interesting and, I think, positive alternative to conventional venture capital.