Should I laugh or cry?

[tombogan03884]

I have a friend who is an MD.  A few years ago he had a heart attack and had to slow down.  He started seeing 5 fewer patients a day, and as a result took a $20,000 cut in his gross pay.  Apparently it dropped him into a different tax bracket, because hi take-home pay went UP $10,000 a year.

Ok, once again the age-old question............why do we punish people for being successful?

It's called "Social justice".

[tt11758]

It's called "Social justice".

f..k "Social Justice".

[tombogan03884]

f..k "Social Justice".

Are you actually proposing that Govt get out of the business of helping the less fortunate ?
What do you suggest ?
Let them fend for themselves ?
Perhaps we should "privatize " charity ?

Read, and think carefully before replying.   

[Solus]

Are you actually proposing that Govt get out of the business of helping the less fortunate ?
What do you suggest ?
Let them fend for themselves ?
Perhaps we should "privatize " charity ?

Read, and think carefully before replying.   

I'll drink to that. 

[MikeBjerum]

This thread brings up the age old question once again:

What is wrong with going to a flat tax?

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

This thread brings up the age old question once again:

What is wrong with going to a flat tax?

Nothing except that some don't understand the concept, others like the status quo and the rest don't give a shit!

[JC5123]

I like the idea of a flat sales tax. This basically puts taxation on consuumption, instead of income. Obviously the more money you make, the more you can and most likely will spend. This IS fair. The only other way to do it fairly is to do away with income tax brackets, and tax ALL income at the same rate. Either way, the more you make, the more you pay. 

[MikeBjerum]

I like the idea of a flat sales tax. This basically puts taxation on consuumption, instead of income. Obviously the more money you make, the more you can and most likely will spend. This IS fair. The only other way to do it fairly is to do away with income tax brackets, and tax ALL income at the same rate. Either way, the more you make, the more you pay. 

True, but this would be even tougher to get through.

By putting a flat tax on income everyone's income above a minimal amount would be taxed (I'm for treating it like all the Social Security crap and start from dollar one).  Everyone contributes based on their income and ability to pay.  The more you earn the more you pay, but everyone pays.

With a flat sales tax the scream is that you are unfairly taxing the poor.  That is the way they twist the numbers to show that the poor are paying more than the rich today.

Liars figure and figures lie - That is the battle that has to be fought to do anything to fix the tax system.  However, I fully believe that if all we did was to pick a flat tax that did not change the dollar amount the average taxpayer was paying, but put some burden on the large number not contribution, we would have enough money to fund the excessive spending going on today plus pay on the debt (principle and interest).  Sounds like the best way to fix the social security and medicare system that I can think of ... Not to mention getting the Chinese off our backs.

[tombogan03884]

Isn't going to happen.
People vote their self interest,Younger people will prefer a flat sales tax since they don't have as much money to spend on "stuff", but older people will go with an income tax since they are no longer earning, or won't be much longer so they see it as putting the load on younger folks instead of themselves.

My earlier post was a trick comment, when the poor had to fend for themselves the poverty rate was the same as it is now, but the individuals in poverty changed at a much higher rate.
And until FDR and his socialist programs came along caring for the unfortunate was privatized, it was called Charity.

It is worth pointing out that after dumping tens of billions of tax dollars on the problem the percentage of people living in poverty has not changed more than a fraction of a percent.