However, the most basic (and I would add, valuable) aspect of government services is the defense of life and property from both internal and external threat. Therefore, the more property one has to protect, the more he benefits. In a sentence, that is a primary basis for believing the wealthier classes do not pay for the value received.
As usual you try to substitute an absolute amount that is with without regard to proportion share for a proportionate measure. I would challenge you to provide statistical evidence if you are claiming that the high income groups are receiving more proportionately for their taxes paid than the low income groups receive in proportion to their taxes paid.
One might further ask which is of more value, life or property. If it is life, do you then imply a rich man's life is more valuable than that of the poor man's?
If you answer property is more valuable than life. I would submit the property of the low income group recieves far more protection in proportion to their tax payment than the high income groups receive in regard to theirs, and again challenge you to back up your claim with statistical evidence. Remember even the ownership of property of the low income groups is subsidized by the government in far greater proportion to their income than can possibly be construed for high income groups.
For evidence of this I refer you again to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics File you pointed out to me in your search for distribution of taxes by income for the year 2000,
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ce/standard/2000/income.txt
and once again I bring your attention to the case of the less than $5,000, average income of $1,942 with an expenditure of $17,946 owning a $40,008 home.
| Income | less than $5,000 |
5,000 to 9,999 |
10,000 to 14,999 |
15,000 to 19,999 |
20,000 to 29,999 |
30,000 to 39,999 |
40,000 to 49,999 |
50,000 to 59,999 |
greater than 60,000 |
|
| Gross Income |
1,942 | 7,192 | 12,245 | 17,070 | 23,666 | 32,720 | 41,498 | 54,432 | 102,578 | |
| Expenditure | 17,946 | 15,703 | 21,199 | 24,331 | 29,852 | 35,609 | 42,323 | 49,245 | 75,964 | |
| Personal Taxes |
39 | 447 | 71 | 248 | 861 | 1,702 | 2,703 | 4,128 | 10,008 | |
| OwnedHome Value |
$40,008 | $38,335 | $51,671 | $60,981 | $60,417 | $68,825 | 80,089 | 102,153 | 185,009 |
In a sentence, that is a primary basis for believing the wealthier classes do not pay for the value received.
Explain to us where the resources for $17,946 a year expenditure comes from, and receiving protection on a $40,008 home( for a group of persons receiving average $1,942 per year income.) paying $39 per year in taxes for that protection.
Tell us how the person in the less than $5,000 bracket above receives less proportionate benefit from government than the top income bracket of greater than $60,000 does paying $75,964 in taxes and receiving protection of his $185,009 home.
Who does not pay for value received? The low income group or the high income group?
Once again the information you have provided and use yourself contradict your reckless and unfounded assertions.
I agree that government protects both life and property. I have not supported a flat tax on wealth. For one thing it is too difficult to measure. If it could be, I would favor a declining wealth tax.
Just because we can't measure accurately, that doesn't prevent us from recognizing that the wealthy pay a much smaller % of wealth