Does anyone really care if the 'rich' pay a little more in taxes?

Question

The right wing radio talk show guys make a big deal over this, but in real life, does it make a big difference? Even when taxes went up to 90% no rich guy ever went financially belly up. Now the top tax rate is 25%, but that's not from the first dollar. The tax rate goes up in five stages. The first 15 grand is taxed at only 10%. Also, the tax rate is different for differnt forms of income. 'The rich' derive income more from investments than wage income. Capital gains taxes are lower than what they take out of your paycheck. Add in tax free bonds and the picuture changes. Wadda' 'ya think?

Answer 1

In the overall scheme of taxation, the working class and poor pay a far greater percentage of their earned income than rich people would even at a 50% rate, but that doesn't matter to rich people or the subservient masses (aka conservatives) who have absolutely no understanding of how the middle class developed in this nation.

If all rich people were relatively good hearted and relatively innovative like Bill Gates we could return to being the first rate nation we were in the mid-20th century. Unfortunately most rich Americans wield Reagan's cattle prod of greed to enrich themselves and keep their supportive underlings in line.

Answer 2

I do, and I'm not rich.

Does anyone really care if we all vote for you to give me $10,000??? No one really cares but you, right? Does that mean it's ok to do?

Where would we be if the rich (say $5,000,000 net worth) were taxed at a 90% rate. As a rich guy, why would I risk $5 Million to start a company that COULD make me $100,000 after taxes....or could go belly up if I lost it all??? I would either not risk my money or risk it outside the US where I can get a better return. Both are bad for America.

Would you brag about how good the government is with money? Would you brag about how efficient they are? If not, why would you want to take money out of the hands of people who create jobs, services, provide health care, and benefits, and put it into an inefficient system that provides nothing of value???

Additionally, why would you want a tax system that punishes people for doing exactly what we want people to do in our country??? Shouldn't we motivate people to do what's best for us???

And rich guys go belly up all the time....even more go belly up with high taxes.

Additionally, this creates a class of super wealthy that control a lot because the barrier to entry is so high, that no one else can enter the market place. Less competition leads to higher prices for us all.

Additionally, What's rich today (e.g. $5 Million) will be normal in 100 years. That's how income taxes actually started. Initially the Supreme court voted it unconstitutional, then people said...."wait...lets just tax the rich people that are making $1500 per year...they can pay the taxes for all of us". And that was just 100 years ago.

Additionally, I'm going to spend your money differently than I'm going to spend my own money. Give me a blank check to buy a car and I'm buying a different car than I would if it was with my own money. We vote irresponsibly and spend irresponsibly when we spend other peoples money.

A flat tax accomplishes this. The rich pay more, the poor pay less.

And did you know that a progressive tax was one of Karl Marx's 10 tenants of Communism????

Answer 3

its not that rich people just pay more money cause they make more, they actually pay more percentage than everyone else. The top 20% of Americans pay 80% of the all the taxes the IRS collect.

The more we tax the middle and upper class, the less money is invested into companies. The more you tax them, the worse the economy does. There is a point where when you put more tax on the middle and upper class, you recieve less income tax because you gain more percent but the income you tax decreases by a greater percentage. Economists call this diminishing returns.

The whole bush philosophy, and the philosophy of cutting taxes is that you can raise tax revenue by allowing the rich to make more money. For example taxing 31% on 100,000 compared to taxing 33% on 80,000. The problem is when you cut taxes and the economy simultaneously tanks, you fall into a huge deficit.

Its not that bush's philosophy is wrong and doesnt work, its that it was implemented at the wrong time. Taxing the rich a little more is an economics issue, not a social one

Answer 4

I'm not rich, I make under $30k I want to start off with that.

That is punishing people for doing well, how does that help the economy? They could maybe tax inheritence a little more, but these people have gone through schooling and training to get were they are and they shouldn't be punished for it.

The rich liberal actors think they should be taxed more because they have more money than what they know what to do with, but average rich people, are still paying big bills and everything and they still need the money they make to get afford those things. I'm talking about thing in reason, not extreme luxeries.

These rich people still pay more in taxes even after they get a tax break, so they are already covering other peoples shares even with their break.

People need to pull their own wait, it's great that they are covering the share of taxes for people who are having trouble, I'm all for helping people in need. Giving people a free ride is a different story by paying extra to cover them, and then getting mad because the rich are getting a break is rediculous, it's like people just want more and more from them when they give more than everyone else already.

Answer 5

This question is a joke. I don't make $500,000 per year, but I would like to some day. I do know that as we climb the ladder of success, the government rapes us. The middle class is disappearing because of our tax system. The rich pay 70% of our Federal budget, and all these liberals complain about is how other people should pay more. The government takes entirely too much now! Most of it is wasted, stolen, and given to political contributors. Democrats are no different than Republicans (except they take more).

Answer 6

I'm sorry but I just don't believe that anyone should have to pay a higher tax rate just because they are more successful. If the average citizen pays say 15% then the rich should pay the same rate, they would still be paying in more than the average guy...thats fair. Anything else is punishment for acheiving sucess.

Answer 7

They try to get people who are rich to invest in tax free government bonds so they have enough money to pay for all the services the government gives away .
This allows the rich to feel as if they too are scamming uncle sam .
Go figure the government is scamming us all .
Trillions down the tubes and not much to show for it .

Answer 8

A little more?

The problem with Dems is that (1) they want to steal the money of hard working people and (2) they would keep asking for a little more, a little more, a little more...

Do you have be to totally uneducated to not realize that the RICH DEMS like Kennedy and Kerry don't pay ANY inheritance taxes while the rest of us work our tails off.

Oh, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have given away 50% to 75% of their money to good causes. Why should Dems have gotten that money?

And, Clinton hiked the AMT so that about 40% of average families will get screwed over the next few years.

Answer 9

I totally agree. The radio hosts all make over 250000 a year, so yeah your going to hear them gripe. Those conservative radio host would back bush if he raped and killed their families.

I love to hear my boss whine about his taxes while he pulls in half a mil a year, and I am struggling to fill up my tank and eat. Screw the rich, they are rich because of our system so they should pay the most to preserve the system. If that doesn't work we could go to socialism where they will get the same as anybody else.

Answer 10

The top 10% are already paying about 2/3 of the total tax bill. How much is too much?