My Problem with the "Fair" tax.

[Kidlicious]

Because they're stupid. A flat tax is fair if you're rich.

Not that I know what the "Fair Tax" is.

"fair" tax is basically not taxing the rich a higher percentage of their income.

[Kidlicious]

Are you a Communist again or just a whiny liberal?

Neither. If I were a liberal I would support Obamacare.

[Kidlicious]

It's a fair joke

Someone once told me that fair is where pigs compete for medals.

[Kidlicious]

It's a fair joke

Someone once told me that fair is where pigs compete for medals.

[Kidlicious]

"Depends on their economic literacy, but I support lowering taxes on rich people, because rich people are my clients, and I can't get rich unless they have money to spend. Poor people also have never cut me a paycheck." -BK
So purely self-interest? How is that fair?

[The Mad Monk]

To be fair, the pig breeders are competing for medals; the pigs couldn't care less.

[Kidlicious]

Read Charlotte's Web

[Dinner]

For those who don't know, American right wing fanatics hate the graduated income tax system where rich people pay higher rates effectively subsidizing poor people who get to pay lower rates. They want a flat tax where everyone pays the same nominal rate (minus deductions and it will always be the rich who get more deductions) and they claim this should be called a fair tax. The problem is, with deductions, this will mean the rich will actually pay a lower effective tax rate than the poor or middle class.

Add to that increasing taxes on the poor would really, really hurt them, to the point of not having food or shelter, and it would hardly raise any money at all. Especially since the top 1% make about 75% of the money in this country (mostly due to rent seeking and control of assets not through hard work) so you have to tax where the money is. Conservatives always ignore reality though.

[Sava]

Adam Smith liked progressive taxation

Why are flat taxers against capitalism?

[Sava]

BTW, you need to be completely dead above your shoulders if you think a flat tax is a good idea.

Honestly, what a stupid notion

[Sava]

BTW, you need to be completely dead above your shoulders if you think a flat tax is a good idea.

Honestly, what a stupid notion

[giblets]

For those who don't know, American right wing fanatics hate the graduated income tax system where rich people pay higher rates effectively subsidizing poor people who get to pay lower rates. They want a flat tax where everyone pays the same nominal rate (minus deductions and it will always be the rich who get more deductions) and they claim this should be called a fair tax. The problem is, with deductions, this will mean the rich will actually pay a lower effective tax rate than the poor or middle class.

Add to that increasing taxes on the poor would really, really hurt them, to the point of not having food or shelter, and it would hardly raise any money at all. Especially since the top 1% make about 75% of the money in this country (mostly due to rent seeking and control of assets not through hard work) so you have to tax where the money is. Conservatives always ignore reality though.

This might be nitpicking but the top 1% have 20% of the income not 75%.

[Ben Kenobi]

So purely self-interest? How is that fair?

Economics isn't a religion, Kidicious. Why shouldn't it be about my self-interest? I'm a teacher - students come here if their parents can afford to do so, but they can't afford to do so if they are taxed out of their eyeballs. So, lower the taxes and I keep my job.

[Ben Kenobi]

Add to that increasing taxes on the poor would really, really hurt them, to the point of not having food or shelter, and it would hardly raise any money at all. Especially since the top 1% make about 75% of the money in this country (mostly due to rent seeking and control of assets not through hard work) so you have to tax where the money is. Conservatives always ignore reality though.

Payroll taxes have the poor paying far more of what they earn than any flat tax. The poor are already being taxed to the gills, but it's only the working poor, so that's ok.

[DaShi]

Adam Smith liked progressive taxation

Why are flat taxers against capitalism?

Conservatives have never been for capitalism. They've always promoted feudalism.