Should the Rich pay more taxes ?

[Kulindahr]

You mean they can leave at an even faster rate than they already are?

The Republicans are trying to help jobs leave -- the evidence indicates that if these "job creators" actually do create jobs when they have to pay less in taxes, they do so where their profit will be the greatest -- which means where labor costs and regulations are least... which means overseas.

 

[Gatorguy]

So pretty much across the board, people here believe that if you work a second job, or work overtime at a current job, you should be taxed at a higher rate - from 15% to 25% for example?

What is the logic there? Do you really believe that the one person is taking jobs away from other people or something because he works two jobs or works overtime? Why is this person who is still earning less than $84,000 the enemy?

I'm just trying to understand why everyone feels so comfortable with an increase of more than 50%! It seems crazy to me.

 

[Kulindahr]

So pretty much across the board, people here believe that if you work a second job, or work overtime at a current job, you should be taxed at a higher rate - from 15% to 25% for example?

What is the logic there? Do you really believe that the one person is taking jobs away from other people or something because he works two jobs or works overtime? Why is this person who is still earning less than $84,000 the enemy?

I'm just trying to understand why everyone feels so comfortable with an increase of more than 50%! It seems crazy to me.

When we talk about "the rich", generally that means people making more than $250,000 per year -- though when Warren Buffet says it, he means people making more than $1,000,000 per year. So second jobs, or overtime, probably aren't even in the equation.

 

[fetaby]

So pretty much across the board, people here believe that if you work a second job, or work overtime at a current job, you should be taxed at a higher rate - from 15% to 25% for example?

What is the logic there? Do you really believe that the one person is taking jobs away from other people or something because he works two jobs or works overtime? Why is this person who is still earning less than $84,000 the enemy?

I'm just trying to understand why everyone feels so comfortable with an increase of more than 50%! It seems crazy to me.

Who said anything about any of this?

You're talking about under 100k? That's not rich, that's middle class.

Yet another mistake of the OP, ill defined parameters. In order to have a constructive discussion, we have to know what in the hell we're supposed to be talking about.

 

[cocksucker4use]

I tried to quote post #63, but the system flipped out. So:

Trickle down only happens in the bathroom. It does not work in the boardroom.

In support of the flat tax, the example is given, that 28% of 250,000 per year is much more that 28% of 20,000 per year. However, 28% of 250,000 leaves 180,000. 28% of 20,000 leaves 14,400.

It is said that all the social support programs are draining us dry. The war in the Middle East in combination with tax cuts have sucked our blood. A laissez-faire attitude toward the mortgage industry led to the debacle that took the marrow. With a Gagillion dollar debt and a sinking credit rating, we are going from coma to carcass fast.

I am amazed at the middle class and below folks who support the Tea Party and conservative economic agenda.
Unless you are really rich, losing your job (and benefits, such as they are), catastrophic illness for you or a family member, financial planning with 50% of your assets evaporated (like me, between the house, weekend place and the stock market), or just being a low income wage earner who has the bad luck to live beyond 65, social security, medicaid, medicare, food stamps, school lunch, etc. are life and death. These are bleeding us, but bailing out the businesses that were too big to fail when the brought about the failure was a good thing? Even the conservatives won't bite on that again.

There are 10+ MILLION households with a $million or greater in assets. I don't know where you live, but in the Bay Area, anything less that 100K a year is tight. Less than 50K is a true struggle and at 20K, it can't be done. Making more that 250K is not a lavish lifestyle for sure. Honestly.

It is written that taxation is a disincentive. For the poor, I would agree. I will not believe that a Wall St. investment banker is going to stay home because he will only get to keep 2.5 million of his 5 million bonus. BONUS!

Jeez.

It is written that we don't work hard enough. Unemployment is 9.1%. Underemployment, like taking a service job to replace your factory job or accepting a half- or part-time job so the employer doesn't have to pay benefits, is bad. Then there are the people who have finally given up entirely afer YEARS of looking.

The rich can and should pay more taxes. We are a very wealthy nation. We can and should get our priorities straight. In this economy, any of us could end up needing a safety net. Hard work alone cannot provide security. We have cut spending to the bone. It is time to increase government income by re-instituting taxes on corporations and the rich.

 

[Kulindahr]

^ You were doing well until you included "corporations". The only thing we need there is a corporate minimum tax, so they don't enjoy negative tax rates.

And reduce the federal income tax on purely domestic businesses to zero.

 

[star-warrior]

Record poverty levels in the US in the Census data. If the poorest get more desperate, then it would lead to social unrest.. Food prices are rising, electricity and gas prices are too, the home income is being squeezed, yet for these folks every penny counts between going cold or going hungry during the coming winter...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14903732

The number of Americans living in poverty rose to 46.2 million last year, nearly one in six people, according to the US Census Bureau's annual report.

The 2010 data shows the poverty rate at 15.1%, from 14.3% in 2009. The number of Americans without health insurance also rose slightly to 49.9 million.

 

[Gatorguy]

When we talk about "the rich", generally that means people making more than $250,000 per year -- though when Warren Buffet says it, he means people making more than $1,000,000 per year. So second jobs, or overtime, probably aren't even in the equation.

But that is the real problem isn't it? Everyone wants to talk about very wealthy or very poor. Most people who get hit with that 50% increase aren't at either end. It hits at approx. 35k and runs through 85k. It's not like their rate goes up 2% or 2 1/4%, it goes up 50+%

I'm lucky, I do OK, this isn't about me at all. But I hate for people starting out, or for people working hard and trying to get ahead, that our US tax system has the hardest/highest increase in tax penalties for those at a relatively modest income. I think it should actually decrease, or maybe the 2nd $35,000 you make is completely exempt.

Then maybe you would have people motivated to work more, offer higher productivity to the economy/country? Again, it seems like everyone goes to jet owners or those below the poverty line, but of the Americans who pay taxes (and I know that isn't a huge percentage), this impacts everyone.