[Age of Reason]

And how is it fair that the poor, who live from hand to mouth and must spend all they earn, will have all their earnings taxed, while wealthier people will have the luxury of saving and investing.

And will there also be a sales tax when you buy stocks instead of food?

[mrs9x]

You ask why risk taking should be rewarded? Because risk taking results in products beneficial to everyone. While there will be many risks that flop, those risks that produce the new miracle drug, the new medical device, or countless other products that make our lives better are worth it. Without an inducement to take risks, there would be none of these products. Therefore, we should reward risk to enable new inventions to be made.

In regards to your second question about why millionaires should be paid so much more than everyone else, even though they might not work "harder" than some manual labor, you have to think of the responsibilities of these people. First, there are not that many billionaires, so we will stick with millionaires. These people run the businesses that make this country work, and unlike the manual laborer, are personally liable as directors of corporations for things that go wrong. Without some additional financial inducement, no one would be willing to take the immense legal and financial responsibility to run these firms. And besides, there are not all that many people with the skills to do such jobs. Thus, with high demand and low supply, the wages will be high.

[jd777]

Food and energy could be excluded.

[Taxman]

Everyone will have the FReedom to work, save and invest.

You insult every lower income American when you suggest that they do not have the ability to save. They have the ability, just not the incentive.

Why save when it is taxed away from you? Why save when it disqualifies you for government benefits?

Under the system the Liberal/Socialist/Marxist Bastard crowd have constructed, there is no incentive to save -- it is taxed and/or disqualifies people for "benefits!"

Under the NRST, every man, woman and child in America will have an incentive to (and will) save some of their earnings because they will not be penalized for doing so.

Let me tell you a story about a poor Georgia dirt farmer I once knew. In the 1940's, 50's and 60's this poor GA dirt farmer would from time to time sell a calf at the local livestock auction. He'd put 10% of what he got in his savings account at the local bank. Whenever he sold his crops or got paid for his milk or chickens or the eggs he sold, he put 10% of the gross in his savings account.

Just about every GA dirt farmer he knew did the same thing -- it was their "nest egg," to be used in an emergency, to invest in more land, etc.

You get the picture. My Grandfather saved 10% of every nickle he ever earned, and over time, became moderately wealthy. But he never had an indoor bathroom in his house until 1954.

I believe that President Johnson, as part of his "Great Society" scheme, is responsible for the fact that interest earned on a pass book savings account is taxable.

A great irony, isn't it, that a "Populist President" would preside over a regime that took the incentive out of Americans saving for an emergency or an opportunity.

The NRST will restore that incentive, and I believe that every American will respond by saving just a little more than they save today. And that will be a good thing.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

because poor people generally are poor because they are either stupid or lazy. so how is it fair that i have to give up 50% of MY income to stupid and lazy people just because i am neither stupid nor lazy? You sound like a communist....