[Nickel]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Javaman', 'T')he rich would still do better than the poor. As long as working in a factory or on a mechanized farm looks like a better deal than scrounging for something to eat, the poor will continue to work for the rich. The rich will get richer...

[StormBringer]

Nickel You are making an assumption about me that I think I need to clear up. My family and I struggle to make ends meat every day. I am retired and My wife manages a popular sub shop. We have 4 teens in the home which gets very expensive. The way you seem to write your comments you are assuming that I am middle if not upper class income and that is anything but true. And throughout life have been everything in between from Upper middle to complete zero income for 3 years. I believe in a flat tax for the reason of fairness to all. EQUALITY for one and all. There will still be programs for the poor.

But as I have been the 25% many times throughout life I understand the plight, but I also always had a since of civic responsibility, duty to my country, and a longing to contribute my share, to have a since of equal pride in my personal stake in government. I received all my taxes back many years and more with the earned income credit. Looking back on it yes it helped but in hind sight what do I have today to show for it NOTHING...... And I know I'm not the only one who went on a spending spree and just blew it rather than save for the rainy days. One of the things I hated and still Hate by the way about being in the 25% is the since that we cant afford to contribute.

I never meant to start a major argument my theory was based on a simple premis

BEEN THERE.

[Daphne64]

The flat tax as it has been proposed in the US included deductions/exemptions. A flat tax without exemptions WOULD bring revolution, I have little doubt. That would be utterly intolerable to the hard working masses.

My personal take is that the government listens MUCH more closely to folks who give $1 million or more in campaign contributions and so the rules have been progessively skewing in favor of those individuals.

I hope the process reached it's grotesque zenith with Henry Paulson arguing against any kind of pay limitations for TARP recipients. He then quietly rendered the small limitations in the original TARP moot by inserting a provision stating that the limitations would only take effect for companies whose toxic crap was sold AT AUCTION to the US government. Of course, he knew, but congress didn't know, that he wasn't going to go the auction path. (And there was also the secret provision that allowed him to change tax rules so that big banks could buy money losing banks for a larger tax write-off).

If I was president I would have him charged with insider trading. I would charge him with treason if I could make it stick.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('StormBringer', ' ')I believe in a flat tax for the reason of fairness to all.

[StormBringer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('StormBringer', ' ')I believe in a flat tax for the reason of fairness to all.

[Ludi]

Ok, I'll try to explain this in a clear way. A poor person has a much smaller amount of money, most if not all of which has to go toward the necessities of life. A rich person has a large amount of money, most of which does not need to go toward the necessities of life. Thus a 10% tax is taking more of the poor person's money which they need for the necessities of life. If I make $15,000.00 a year, and I need $15,000.00 of that to pay for food, clothing, and shelter, $1500.00 a year in tax is an extreme hardship because I have nothing with which to pay the tax, or I have to go without necessities. If I make $100,000.00 a year and I need $15,000.00 of that to pay for food, clothing, and shelter, $10,000.00 a year in tax is not a hardship because I still have $75,000.00 left over after I have provided myself the necessities and paid the tax.


Does that make sense?

[Javaman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Nickel', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Javaman', 'T')he rich would still do better than the poor. As long as working in a factory or on a mechanized farm looks like a better deal than scrounging for something to eat, the poor will continue to work for the rich. The rich will get richer...