A taxing question: Just what is fair?

The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | April 15 2002 | Edwin A. Locke

[galt-jw]

repubs and dems are both statists: both agree the state can abrogate individual rights. sooner or later, conservative folks have to admit to this. i no longer desire to be rich. I could open two more business if I really wanted to. But for this, I would be penalized by fifty percent of my earnings(that really means TIME). Plus, if I dont, I deprive them of my mind, my production, my money. Run your social programs without my money. If others understood this, Atlas Shrugged, the game would end in a few years. think about it.

[TomB]

In fact, in the airline case, if they'd done a better job (proper cockpit doors) they'd not have allowed the circumstance which hurt the economy to begin with. Realistically speaking, the government couldn't have really acted any more effectively (you either have or don't have the human intel) but the airlines sure could have.

Somehow I missed this little gem. Unfortunately, the cockpit doors could have been as big as a bank vault's, and it wouldn't have mattered. The airline industry, in conjuntion with the FAA, had a policy in place prior to 9-11 to negotiate and acquiesce to the demands of hijackers. Strengthened cockpit doors would not have helped because they were opened voluntarily.

[TomB]

Not a snowball's chance.

Looks that way.

Another hit-and-run socialist.

He probably had to take a nap.

[lewislynn]

Locke is right. It's not fair "The top 50 percent pay 96 percent of the total bill " since government spending is out of control, the timing is perfect. There should be a major tax shift raising all the lower tax brackets, then lowering the upper ones to help the poor darlings at the top and squelch the hopes for those at the bottom for ever getting ahead.

[Crawdad]

My wife hates it when I tell this, but we don't allow the word "fair", along with other words, to be used in our home. Instead of "fair" and/or "unfair", we use "right" and/or "wrong". It's incredible how this shortens disputes at our house. The other day, my 13-year-old daughter came running in the room to tell us our 6-year-old daughter had used the "F" word. Scared me to death until she told us the word was "fair".

[jetson]

I don't remember being asked to vote on the whole concept of income tax.

[fooman]

you can say that again. My 'top ten' mba cost 90K! Of course, I get to pay this back with cashflow that has been taxed at 50%

[Tralfaze McWatt]

We need Federal envy crime legislation to complement Federal hate crime legislation. Envy crimes should be punished with the same force as hate crimes. Enhanced punishment for envy crimes should send a lot of demorat supporters to the electric chair or the gas chamber.

[fooman]

Of course this just means indentured servitude! It took six years to get the MBA and pay it off. Almost the seven years that it took 200 years ago!

[NittanyLion]

There should be a major tax shift raising all the lower tax brackets, then lowering the upper ones to help the poor darlings at the top and squelch the hopes for those at the bottom for ever getting ahead.

Seeing as how the poor don't pay any income tax already, anything paid would constitute a major shift, I suppose. I would suggest lowering the tax burden on the "rich" by a drop in the marginal rates. I would lower the burden on the "poor" (and rich) by privatizing Social Security. Of course, this would require a simultaneous and massive spending cut.

[concerned about politics]

We pay taxes. We're just over the border of the tax cut off. What gets me is the fact that most of the people living off our tax dollars live better than we do. I've seen welfare mothers and their kids wearing real gold jewlry and designer clothes in the supermarkets where they're buying their food with food stamps. Heck, they even buy steaks and name brand soda! We can't afford to eat like that either!
Something is wrong with this system, that's for sure! We live like paupers while they live like kings!!
Needless to say, we live in NY. Tax and spend Hillaryville.

[Protagoras]

Demorats need to be publicly demonized around 15 April for promoting this scam.

How convienient that you have left out the Republicans in promoting the scam. It's laughable.

[Protagoras]

I guess the concept of private property is lost on you.

[NittanyLion]

How convienient that you have left out the Republicans in promoting the scam. It's laughable.

But, but, but...what about our $300 rebate? LOL.

[concerned about politics]

How convienient that you have left out the Republicans in promoting the scam. It's laughable.

The problem is : The grasshoppers are starting to outnumber the ants. At least we got $300 back. If Dumpocraps ran Washington, we'd have paid twice that to them!

[Protagoras]

Today, the vast majority of self-employed folks are tax cheats, never reporting all of their income, and living off salaried folks like leeches.

Let me guess, you are a "salaried folk".

I am a self employed person. And if you are a salaried person, I gaurantee that I have paid more in taxes so far than you will ever pay in your existence.

If you take advantage of any program whatsoever, (I do not) you are a leech on me.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Yawn. Most boring rant of utter nonsense ever.

[Protagoras]

Would it be Ok if a man made a million dollars and then took it all as cash, and put a flame to it?

[Tralfaze McWatt]

A scam is scam, no matter who promotes it. I think I know who promotes the Federal progressive income tax scam. In general, with the exception of RINO politicians, it is not the Republican party.

[Jim Noble]

>>However, while we have it, there's no excusing that the wealthiest indeed get the greatest benefit from a vibrant economy, low crime and relative peace abroad. We should probably adjust the upper bracket so mutli-millionaires and multi-billionaires pay a share more in line to the overall benefit they've received<<

What is the evidence that taxes-any taxes-result in a "vibrant economy" which results in benefit to "the wealthiest"?

Think of how much more vibrant the economy would be without the drag of taxes.