In this era of uncontrolled spending in Washington, is our memory so foggy as to the reasons we fled Britain? Have we forgotten that income tax was originally prohibited by the constitution?
Offer your own viewpoint on this. Even if I disagree with your views, I'll give kudos for well-reasoned, thought-out, properly worded responses.
2007-02-07 13:47:57 · 9 answers · asked by Mr Brando 2 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
I think we are. However, what do you suppose the future prospects of higher taxes are when looking at the current indebtedness the US has? Moreover, with the elimination of the middle class who do you suppose will have enough money to pay taxes in the future?
Maybe the future presidents and politicians can go to China and beg and plead for them to pay taxes. The thing the government seems to forget, is that if there are no working people left to pay taxes, they are likely out of jobs or forced to work for little or no wage. But, then again, lobbyists could pay their way.
Here is one good question to ask yourself about taxes... what aren't you taxed on? The answer about being over taxed should be clear after you answer this.
I do agree we fled the "mother land" for the very thing we face now "taxation without representation". Doesn't seem we are able to learn from others' mistakes, does it?
2007-02-07 17:43:09 · answer #1 · answered by scorpio1913 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Where do you get the idea that we fled Britain because of the taxes? The tax issue was not about the taxes it was about the British levying taxes on Colonists without representation, the Colonists demanded representation in Parliament and refused to pay the taxes without representation. The Colonists were not saying no taxes, just no taxes without representation. We had already fled Britain 150 years before the tax issue came up.
But we have representation in Congress and the Constitution NEVER prohibited income tax (Amendment XVI changes the aportionment by census provisions, the congress always had the right to tax income but it had to be aportioned to each state acording to the last census before Amendment XVI ). The Constitution in fact demanded taxes pay for the government. As the country has grown (In 1776 the population of the US was 2,527,450, and there are now 4 million people born every year) it costs more to run a government.
Americans actually pay far lower taxes than citizens of any other industrialized nation. Rich Americans, after all of their tax shelters kick in, pay around 15% and that is hardly a high tax rate (rich Europeans pay up to 95%). The tax burden is heaviest on the middle class, we pay around 19% after all of our deductions (the European middle class pays 60-70%,) but much of the US middle class tax is Social Security and we get it all back and then some when we retire, the average person gets every penny they ever paid into SS in five years but still draw on it at the same level even if they live another forty years. We invest in America with our taxes, and I believe in America and believe it is worth investing in.
2007-02-07 22:45:27 · answer #2 · answered by egg_zaktly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I think we are. Here in Massachusetts, we also get to pay a bunch of other taxes as well, like the famous sales tax on most things we buy, excise tax on cars, meals tax, gas tax, cigarette tax, and a state employee tax which is deducted each week from our pay. Lots of this money went into paying for all of the useless tunnels in Boston, like the Ted Williams tunnel, and the "big joke", oops, I meant the big dig. lol If my money can't be spent any better than what it is now, then i would rather have it myself, to do what I want with it. The state tax here, 3%, was started by the then Governor Volpe(D) as a temporary tax. That was way back in the early '60's, and has been raised once since then by good ol' Gov. Dukakis(D), to make it 5%.
2007-02-07 22:03:56 · answer #3 · answered by knownothing 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depends on who you ask, doesn't it? The Bush administration
has, believe it or not avoided even heavier taxes that we have now, by borrowing money, and not paying it back. They have, in fact, borrowed more money then all of the previous Presidents since George Washington COMBINED. The budget for 2008 is over two trillion dollars. Most of it, of course, for military. If the next administration chooses to balance the budget, and get this country out of debt, they will have to raise taxes. It is our government's ONLY source of income. So any president (Republican or Democrat) who wants to pay back what we have borrowed will be hated, because of higher taxes.
2007-02-07 22:03:34 · answer #4 · answered by roscoedeadbeat 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not by the federal government, no. But you need to consider you state, county and local taxes as well. This can vary some state-to-state.
2007-02-07 21:56:57 · answer #5 · answered by Gerry S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The max on Federal Tax is about 33% now. Hillary thinks it should be about 48%.
2007-02-07 22:02:42 · answer #6 · answered by scarlettt_ohara 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Mr. Brando,
Are you a government cointel warrior ?
Or a true patriot ?
2007-02-07 22:20:03 · answer #7 · answered by jeff w 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you think you are too heavily taxed now...wait till they bring out universal health care...that's how it will be paid for.
2007-02-07 21:51:29 · answer #8 · answered by Cherry_Blossom 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm getting a hefty refund, so I gotta go with "no"
2007-02-07 21:55:23 · answer #9 · answered by Kiss My Shaz 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋