Quote:
Originally Posted by Roflmao
My parents hit sort of the same thing with an increase in pay that bumped them up to another tax bracket, they didn't lose money but they basically broke even. Did you fill out another W4 when you got the raise? That can affect things. Also, was the pay increase less than $6000 dollars? If it wasn't then you still gained money with the raise. Either way, I sympathize with you, but I do feel that the higher incomes ultimately should pay a bigger percentage. I know everyone works very hard for their money and hates to give it up, but there are a lot of reasons the government needs the money (yes they suck at spending it now, but thats another topic all together). If everything was fair, the distribution of wealth would be pretty even. Then how is it fair that the top 1% earn 17% of all the money? Are they working that much harder than the 99%? It goes back to the old saying of you are only as strong as your weakest link. If those top 1% were re-distributing the money through the economy, then I would be with you 100%. The problem is the majority of the top 1% don't do that, they go to foreign markets to spend their wealth on foreign cars, houses, vacations, anything they can outside of the country. You would see a major major downfall in the country if the money was not being taxed the way it is, not only because the gov't didn't have any money, but because the economy would desimate.
Oh, and I replied to your edit if you look closely  |
Well, I really don't have a response to your view on what is fair. We certainly don't agree on what makes someone successful. Nor do we agree that just because you make more money you are obligated to give a larger percentage of it away. What you describe is closer to socialism than a democracy or capitalism. Let the Government decide how much you should make, and then let them decide what services they should provide you with.
And yes it is completely fair that the top 1% earns 17% of the total income. Because there is nothing preventing any of us from being in that top 1%. and if they paid 17% of the taxes that would even be more fair. But they pay 35%. And in spite of that discrepancy, you give me the impression that you think this is more than fair because they are wealthy and it isn't fair that some aren't. And you justify that by saying rich people don't work hard enough to justify having all that wealth.
Like I said, I just don't have an answer for you. I appreciate your position. But see no reason to continue this debate. We are so polarly opposite that you might as well try and trade Jeeter to Boston.
It's time to agree to disagree.
I concede to you the last word.