[Seadog Bytes]

RE: "...it should be a very large increase in the value of the personal exemption, to, say, $20,000 or more. Then everyone still gets a tax cut, and the richest still get more in dollars, but the benefit of the tax cut falls disproportionately on those who make the least."

LOL!   Even if you were able to convince people like me that an even steeper progressive tax system, than we already have, is the 'sensible' thing to do (...which, I must tell you, is by no means a slam dunk...), the minute you got your ideas passed, you'd have all the people who AREN'T PAYING ANY TAXES AT ALL NOW (along with and all the Limo-libs, Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi, etc., who claim to be supporting them) screaming/whining that *THEY* didn't get any part of your 'tax cuts'. ...and STILL damning you for giving "tax cuts (only) to the rich". Sorry, but some things never change.

...I AGREE with you on the "fence" part though... grin.

[SunkenCiv]

The tax system wouldn't be any steeper. I agree that whining would continue, but it wouldn't be about the income tax. It might be about the 2 per cent federal sales tax (on everything except food and drugs) passed to make the income tax change "revenue neutral".