my connection with the tea party

[GhastMaster]

Sorry,

I'll give you a little bit of my history. I grew up in a rural area with one stop light in town. Since my childhood I have lived in the city and have no kids or significant other. I have made no more than twenty thousand dollars a year in the last 8 years(most of the time less than 15k), never used any welfare programs, and I visit my chiropractor once a week for thirty five dollars a pop. I used to live in a nice area and rode my bike to work across the street. I moved to another place and rode my bike 45 minutes to work in the dead of winter in Ohio. I eat healthy food. I have a garden. I have hopes and dreams. I am pretty happy. I am one of the people that pays a far higher portion of my income into taxes. I choose to drive a car now. I choose to buy some groceries at the store rather than grow them and can them, like my mom used to do. I like the corporations who pay me to work. I have air conditioning running all summer, I have my own room and a bathroom(and more). I am a lot more comfortable than my great-grandparents. I have the best internet the cable company offers. I drink beer.

That said, why am I subsidizing houses for section 8? Why am I feeding someone else's children? Why am I paying for medicaid and medicare? I will never use these programs(even though I probably could). Why do lawmakers make me pay for people who are better off than I?

I do not understand this. Are you saying that there should be one fixed rate of income tax for everyone? That is not what it "is", and I do not agree that that is what it should be. A graduated income tax, properly calibrated and properly implemented is the best form of tax.

Sorry, income tax is a percentage of your income. In the U.S. people pay different percentages depending on how much they earn. I assumed everyone knew that there are clearly defined rates(not that you didn't). That said, how can lower income people pay a larger portion of income if their percentage is set at a lower rate? Lissa explained this saying, "Now, if you look at the top 2%, some take in a very large percentage of their income through stock dividends. Warren Buffet in fact takes in so much dividend income each year that he pays around 16% to 17% of his total income per year as taxes." I do not know why dividends are not taxed at the same rate as income. I would like to know the logic behind that.

I believe that everyone should pay the same percentage of any tax that is applied to their income. I do not believe in any form of a tax break or credit. The accounting profession is consuming a lot of unnecessary people and money that could be applied to manufacturing and investment. If everyone paid seventeen percent(arbitrary number) on their income, you would not need an accountant to do most people income taxes. Why do you think there should be a graduated income tax Pete? Who would you tax more? What rate? I know life is not fair, but setting a higher percentage on higher earners seems a little mean. Also a graduated tax would give people reason to lobby for lower taxes at their level, causing a little room for corruption. At a fixed flat rate(constitutional amendment required) there wouldn't be much room for corruption in the tax code.

Right. After all, they don't need all those luxuries -- like food, clothing, shelter, transportation, water (yeah, that costs nowadays).

I think I just consider some things a luxury that others do not. I compare what is available today, to what was not 100 years ago. Things like electricity and running water are nice, but not necessary. Certainly they are not luxuries. Well maybe in some countries they are. Makes me think, maybe being a U.S. citizen is a luxury in and of it's self. Something some people forget. Back to the point...food is necessary, however it can be acquired from places other than the open market. As for shelter, I have never heard of a rentee's tax. It is assumed that landlords pass on property tax to the renter. This would be indirect tax, but a tax none the less. My parents do not pay a tax for water. They use a cistern. Am I thinking too far outside the box?

Right, again. For you can make a coat out of air, a meal from sand, etc. Of course, forcing people that are poor to become criminals as well is a valid solution.

I understand your point. It is hard to avoid consuming products(and the taxes levied on them), but it can be done, and is. I firmly believe that black markets become popular in situations where taxes are too high. An example of this exists right now with the heavy cigarette taxes in a lot of states, and the subsequent crossing of state lines for lower taxes. I know, it's more like a grey market than it is black.

Sure. In a nation that has, on the average, the worst public transportation infrastructure of the industrial nations, they can ride the non-existent subways. If they're real lucky, they can ride the poorly designed bus routs and only add a few hours to their work day. After all, the poor have so much excess time, not having to waste all that time on the golf courses and concert halls.

As I stated above, I do not use public transportation. In Cincinnati it sucks. I walk, ride, or drive anywhere I go. Sometimes hours, in each case.

And as a final comment, consider this:

the top 400 income earners in the US bring in as much income a year as the bottom 150,000,000 (50% of the total population). 0.0003% at the top makes as much as the bottom 50%.

I don't care if they make ten billion times more than God. I am doing just fine(aside from the mouse that just sniffed my foot), and so are the majority of the people I've met in my life. Why should I care about how much money someone else is making? I would like that much money.