Why do people think that the poor benefit more from taxes?

Question

Isn't the whole American system set up to protect the rich? I mean tax dollars go to pay police officers who take criminals off the street who try to steal things from rich people. And if you're lucky enough to be able to afford your own house, there is a register of deeds available to make sure your deed is of record so no one can come claim your house. And the areas of the country that have higher taxes ususally have better schools, and with better schools comes better education, and better education leads to college and better job opportunities. So the rich children benefit there. And of course if you're lucky enough to afford a car, there are roads and bridges built in order to drive your car on. And parts of tax budgets go to economic development. I could go on and on how taxes help the wealthy, but everyone seems toforget about that. Now granted there are social services out there that assist the poor, but it really seems that the rich have a far better end of the deal.

Answer 1

two answers have mentioned that 6% pay 96% of the taxes.
BUT
2% earn 96% of the money in this country.

If you want tax equality, how about WAGE equality?

(My family is in the top 20% wage earners nationally)

Answer 2

Its nice the way you phrase everything with a bias.

Police officers do not merely keep poor people from stealing from the rich. The poor do benefit from the police and "law and order".

I was not aware that highways and bridges were only for the rich. There must be far more rich people than I thought, especially working 9 to 5; because traffic is hell out on those highways and bridges during rush hour.

I'm not even sure what you are getting at for housing ? The concept of deeds goes back before the US was formed. What that has to do with taxes... I have no idea.

The fact is, that the Rich pay for about 70% of the Taxes (It varies for US, UK, Can, Aus etc.), The Middle Class pay about another 25% and the last 5% comes from the poor. So the rich could merely pay for those schools, highways and go with personal security instead of police if such was the need. Its their money being spent. They could buy those highways for personal use and they'd last forever.

The poor get to benefit from schools, police, highways and other commodities without paying for any of it. So what if the rich happen to get better service, they should. They're paying the bills.

To put it in a simple metaphor. Theres a rich man and a poor man. The rich man buys 2 coffees, one more expensive coffee for himself and gives the other to the poor man who looks like he could use a coffee. Who benefits more ? The rich man because his coffee costs more, or the poor man who did nothing to get a free coffee.

That is why people think that the poor benefit more from taxes. The rich might get more than a poor man, but they paid for it many many times over compared to the poor...

Answer 3

I believe the system is set up for the protection of all Americans. Higher taxes have proved to be the detriment of the school system. Our conservative and prestigious college is not funded by the state or federal government and kids of all economic backgrounds and ethnicity are students here. Initiatives are given to those who are unable to pay, like scholarships, loans and grants. Any one who wants an education in this country is totally able to achieve that goal.
Taxes should only underwrite the disabled, the disadvantaged children and low income elderly. Anyone who wants to succeed is quite able to do it.
I did not come from a wealthy family but I paid for my own education and have done very well, as many of the ones I went to college with did. I knew very few who were wealthy.
It is not true that advantages help the wealthy. Cuts in small business taxes help individuals succeed. Cuts in taxes enable businesses to expand and hire more people, and on and on.........MrOrph has got it right, exactly. You get out of life what you put into it!

.

Answer 4

Not one of the services you listed are paid for by federal or state income taxes. They are paid by sales, excise, use and property taxes. The rich buy more things and thus pay more sales tax which funds the police and local roads. The rich own larger homes which requires larger property taxes which funds local schools. The rich drive cars which run on gas which is taxed to pay for local and interstate roads, so drivers of cars are the only people paying for the roads they drive on.

The income tax pays for the military, welfare and other social programs and the workings of government. The military historically takes underadvantaged men and women and gives them a job, training and education uplifting their situtation. Welfare and social programs never give any benefit to the people who actually pay the tax. And our bloated government doesn't benefit anybody.

I would suggest you learn a little bit about the subject before you make these blanket accusations and assumptions. If you want to defend someone try smokers and alcoholics. The enormous amount of tax those guys pay on the products that support their habits almost never benefit them.

Answer 5

Of course the more money you have the better service you can get. It's that way all over the world and it's not going to change. So yes the wealthy get the better end of the deal so if you want to enjoy the benefits of the wealthy come up with something to benefit your fellow man or woman and you could be one of the wealthy.

Answer 6

Thing is ... more cops benefits EVERYBODY because it means its harder to go beat up your local homeless guy.

Similarly, better education means a stronger economy means more available cash means that it is easier for someone with little money to pull themselves up.

And of course, if you are deperately poor, you do have some level of medical access - and the more taxes that are available, the better that medical access is.

Do not underestimate the power of social services. It may be the difference between death by starvation and living on the streets occasionally having respite in a shelter - or better.

Answer 7

1) the poor pay little to no taxes.
2) they take advantage of government programs that the 'rich' subsidize with the taxes they pay.
3) Higher taxes does not mean better education. This is a liberal lie, the bet evidence is Milwaukee, WI. We have high taxes yet the education system is failing.
4) Some of the lowest taxed areas have the best education.
5)Roads favor all rich to poor.

High taxes are a result of a bureaucratic system that is bloated with special interest programs.

Answer 8

Because the poor actually get quite a bit back on taxes each year. If you aren't middle class, have children, own a home, have unreimbursed business expenses, etc, you get everything back and more! The first year I filed taxes after having my kid, and I had finished school and was able to claim educational expenses, I got more back then what I paid, actually over double what I had paid throughout the year! If you are middle class, you make just enough to not qualify for all the write offs or income based deductions, and not rich enough to make large donations to get a refund as well.

Answer 9

The very first day of their very first class at police academy, two friends of mine were asked along with the rest of the students in the room, "What is your primary duty as a law enforcement officer?"

Different answers where offered listing all the duties they thought they would be doing.

"Wrong !" The instructor shouted.

"Your job is to protect the rich from the poor, and don't forget it. Every other duty is just to take up your time."

And you know what, he was right when you think about it.

Answer 10

Wow do you really think that?

Welfare, food stamps, unemployment Insurance, medicaid are all government programs designed to assist the poorer elements of society. I would hazard a guess to say that this takes up a far bigger chunk of tax allocations than any tax assisted programs or spending that benefit the rich.

Answer 11

America 's Plutocracy preys on the weaker and less fortunate members of society. Since America 's founding, they have leveraged their economic power to dominate the government and the media, the vehicles through which they advance their avaricious agenda.

Recently, legislation favoring corporations over workers and consumers has sharply diminished the power of labor unions and opportunities for small entrepreneurs, while historically, corporations have maimed and killed their employees and their customers with hazardous working conditions and unsafe products. The wealthy elite class has dominated American politics via dynasties like the Bush clan and the Kennedy family. The predominance of regressive over progressive taxes has virtually guaranteed that the majority of America 's riches remains in the hands of the Plutocrats.

Bush and his war-mongers have perverted the meaning of a once sacred symbol of the ideals of a true republic to one of hatred, criminality, brutality, and imperialism. I hope it served her well as a blanket. Some members of Congress want a Constitutional amendment to prevent flag desecration. Too late! The criminal acts of the Bush administration have already grossly defiled the American flag.