"DSK" wrote in message
...
... I'd prefer a progressive tax, where the burden is
1- distributed more equitably
2- those who gain the most benefit pay more


NOYB wrote:
Great idea! If you're on welfare...pay more. If you're on
Medicare...pay more. If you're on Social Security...pay more. If you
live in a crime-ridden area requiring a higher level of police
protection...pay more. If you ride public transit...pay more.

If you have a huge waterfront mansion that you can only afford because of
tax-subsidized construction & deducting loan interest, pay more.

I'm pretty sure you're not talking about me. Afterall, my house is just
under 2300 sq ft under air.

The loan interest deduction is nice though.



If you live in a wealthy low-crime neighborhood, it's difficult to see how
you have *less* police protection than a high crime neighborhood. You
certainly have more to lose. And the cops respond quicker & with more
resources when you call.

If you drive a gas guzzling luxury vehicle on public roads (ie paid for
out of tax money- pay more

Fine. Tax gas...not income.


If you pollute the air & water more with a high consumption life style-
pay more.


Why? Very few tax dollars are spent to correct polluted air and water. At
least compared to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc.

If you have an investment portfolio that is protected by the SEC or other
tax-supported agencies- pay more

My home and my pension plan is my investment portfolio. I keep most of my
other money in a Demand Note account (similar to a bank account, but without
FDIC protection).

I have cash in my business account, but I'd gladly forgo FDIC insurance in
exchange for a tax break.




If you have a health plan that provides good care at public supported
hospitals- pay more

How does this benefit rich folk over poor folk?

The hospitals down here are private. And the high fees that the hospital
charges me and my insurance company helps subsidize the folks who show up
there with no insurance


Beginning to get the idea? If you think the poor get more benefits, then
try it yourself. If you like it better, stay poor.

The poor *do* get more benefits from the government than the richer folks.
That doesn't mean I'd like being poor. I just prefer to work for my
benefits.



The progressive tax system that we currently use has the top 1% of wage
earners paying 32% of the taxes.

Really? That doesn't quite fit with the last statistics I saw, but *if*
that top 1% has 32% of the overall income, then what is unfair about
making them pay 32% of the taxes?

You're changing the argument now. You said that it's only equitable to
charge them more because they derive more benefits from the government
(which I don't agree with).


But guess what!? With a flat tax, they'd still pay more of the total tax
bill.

You have not answered that basic question, just answered with a lot of
whining about how the poor have it made.

They don't "have it made". But their benefit vs. taxes-paid ratio is much,
much higher than that of richer folks.

You keep twisting the argument to make it one about quality of life instead
of one about a fair tax system.