Matthew Phillips
SCJP
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Associate Instructor - Hofstra University
Amazon Top 750 reviewer - Blog - Unresolved References - Book Review Blog
I don't see anything wrong with taxing those who can afford it. After all, who is getting the most benefit of America's freedom, the guy living in a box on the street or a CEO making $20,000,000 per year? Seems to me that the guy getting the benefit should be willing to pay for it. I think as long as the top rates are not unreasonably high that there is no real problem with an income based tax. It certainly is the fairest form of taxation.Originally posted by Matthew Phillips:
I don't think that it is perfect because it taxes behavior, but I think it's a far cry better than the current income tax which taxes achievement.
Associate Instructor - Hofstra University
Amazon Top 750 reviewer - Blog - Unresolved References - Book Review Blog
Matthew Phillips
Associate Instructor - Hofstra University
Amazon Top 750 reviewer - Blog - Unresolved References - Book Review Blog
Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
Under your plan, would citizens who couldn't pay the bill have their citizenship revoked?
I think the problem is that too many people see paying taxes as a punishment. It isn't. After all, you are the one who decides how your tax dollars are spent through your elected officials. The government isn't taking your money because you are the government! You may not like how your elected officials decide to spend your money but that is the price you pay for being part of society.
Matthew Phillips
See, this is where you are getting confused. The government isn't taking your money because you are the government! You decided to give some of your money to the poor. You decided what the tax rates should be. You made these decisions through your elected representatives. You are the government. The government is not some foreign invading force. It isn't 1776 and we aren't being taxed by Parliament.Originally posted by Matthew Phillips:
You say that the government is not taking my money, but they are. They are taking it from me...
Associate Instructor - Hofstra University
Amazon Top 750 reviewer - Blog - Unresolved References - Book Review Blog
Originally posted by Matthew Phillips:
...and giving it to someone that made poor decisions to bring them up to poverty level.
Matthew Phillips
Originally posted by Gregg Bolinger:
Not all poverty is caused by poor decisions.
As far as the rest of your statement, I can kind of see your point. It's hard to go to work everyday to provide for yourself and your family to recieve a paycheck with 20% taken out for taxes. Then take your remaining 80% and going to the grocery store to buy some food for your family just to have another 5 to 10% taken out for sales tax.
And then it becomes increasinlgy difficult to deal with it when you see your elected officials giving themselves raises, raising taxes, etc.
But as Thomas said, it's part of being an American and living in society as we know it.
But it doesn't hurt to want to change the way in which tax money is recieved and spent. And that too is part of our government. Being able to elect new representatives to give it a better shot.
Matthew Phillips
Originally posted by Gregg Bolinger:
It's hard to go to work everyday to provide for yourself and your family to recieve a paycheck with 20% taken out for taxes.
Matthew Phillips
Why should the person who made good decisions, got an education, developed connections, and worked hard be punished while the person who decided to skip school, do drugs, and make generally bad decisions get a free ride. I'm not saying that all homeless people made poor decisions but most did. I would prefer to see a bill go to each citizen for an equal share in the cost of government. If the federal government were run constitutionally, then we would all get an equal share of the benefits.
Matthew Phillips
Matthew Phillips
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