Obviously taxes are way too low to support all the programs we need

[LostInTheMaise]

How much of an increase would be tolerated by the American people to support free health care, better welfare, double teacher pay, more schools, free housing and meals for the homeless etc.

Right now most people pay about 35-45% of their income. Would 50-60% be accepted by the working class to fund all the programs?

Also, with free health and more solid welfare how many working poor would just quit and rely on the new services?

[Mr.Green93]

1. 75% tax on all income over 50k

[LostInTheMaise]

4. WIll that sell?

Should we get Kerry to propose that tax rate? Do many people in MA make over 50k? I'm sure most would be happy to work extra hard to insure their income after 50k is used to help the needy.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. WWWAAAAYYY Too High?

Your threshhold is too low and your marginal rate is too high. I think the numbers (based upon econometric studies) that could be supported without any negative impact on GDP or employment is 40% of everything over $200k. My analysis shows this would add about $98 billion to the treasury, overnight. While that's only 1/5th of Bush's deficit, it's a step in the right direction.
The Professor

[loudnclear]

16. The lowering of our standard of living is being missed in all this tax cut

Once we have to stop giving services to the needy and underpriviliged and even the working poor the US standard of living will drop dramatically except for those who are wealthy (the upper 2%). With years of deficits facing us and no tax base to support either infrastructure or social service needs, what will we look like 10 years from now? I predict that crime will increase, disease, and mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse and trafficing will rise sharply. Do you want to live or have your children live in a society like that?
The only people who will fare well are the alreday wealthy and the Indians and Chinese and Koreans both here and in their native lands thanks to the proliferation of these people in our medical and technical industries. In many cases already, especially in the inner cities, the only medical professionals who will service the poor are foreign...God love them for it.

[KG]

2. working class americans already pay enuff

time for the really rich and corporations to go back to paying their fair share to the society that provided the means for their wealth.

[Bridget Burke]

3. Make some Tax corrections....

The very rich & corporations pay far less than their share.

Most people would prefer work to welfare. Of course, there can be a problem if there's a job shortage. And I don't mean like working at Walmart, where they often supply new employees with instructions on getting food stamps.

[lostnfound]

9. Like Rupert Murdoch, who pays nothing?

http://www.turtletrader.com/post.html
http://www.vision.net.au/~apaterson/politics/economist_murdoch.htm

[NewJeffCT]

5. we need to educate everybody on this issue

1) Raise, or get rid of, the limit on payroll taxes (I think it's around $90K now - after you reach that limit, you pay no more payroll taxes) That would be a huge revenue raiser as it is very discriminatory towards the poor, working and middle classes as it is now.

2) Change the income tax rate on the top 1% to 67%; and then the next 4% to 50%; and the next 5% of the people to 40%. So, the top 10% of Americans get their income tax raised.

[trumad]

6. My wife just made her biggest check yet

She's commission based and got a check for 11 grand for 2 weeks... She paid 6 grand in taxes.... I'm all for the rich paying their fair share but i must admit, this was a shocker...

[lostnfound]

7. Cut the offense budget, for heaven's sake.

And no more optional wars -- there's a few hundred billion for you.

We donkeys can pull a lot of weight or we can pull our own weight, if we can get the elephant off our backs.

[G_j]

12. I was wondering when someone would state the obvious

if people are unwilling to cut military spending, we're screwed. All those new Walmart jobs are not going to cut it.

[papau]

8. The rich average 27% of income as tax - all tax - and that's after not

calling "income" much of the interest and capital gain that makes up 90% of their income.

[DUreader]

10. Do you have links to back up your Numbers?

?

[KG]

11. actually, seems to be plenty of money if one subtracts bloated and

unneccesary military spending and corporate welfare.

[prolesunited]

13. Don't have the time right now

to do justice to a response to this thread, but the naivety and incorrect underlying assumptions of your question demonstrates that you are sorely in need of being educated on this issue.

While the right is decrying class warfare and claiming we are trying to play Robin Hood, they are enjoying the benefit of the lowest cumulative tax rate in decades. With each passing year, they are actually paying less while the lower and middle class are bearing the tax burden. The average CEO makes 531 times more than those they employ at minimum wage.

In addition, corporations are enjoying HUGE tax breaks, having public money funneled to them as we privatize government services through no-bid contracts — all the while shipping jobs overseas.

If I have some time later, I will post some relevant facts and figures that will surely alter your viewpoint.

Contrary to what you apparently have been misled to believe, most of us are NOT in favor to raise taxes on the middle and working classes. However, many are in favor of progressive and fair taxation that will restore the wealth distribution levels to where they were several decades ago.

Also, most of us are in favor of hand ups, not hand outs. The goal is not, as you seem to imply, to create a welfare state in which lazy people rely on government handouts on the backs of those who work hard.

That said, there is room for government intervention. How about increasing the minimum wage so that people working full time are not living in poverty and do NOT qualify for food stamps and subsidized housing.

Think of it this way, while WalMart is paying less-than-subsistence wages while the founder's five children rank among the nation's wealthiest people, YOUR tax dollars are being used to help feed and take care of their employees.

I certainly hope more people have the time to clear up you misperceptions.

[cryofan]

14. raise income taxes on upper class, lose payroll tax ceiling, cut defense

And we could have all the social programs we need.

The upper class used to be taxes at rates of 70-90%. Now they are taxed 39% on income, and about 20% or so on dividends and other investment income. That loss of our progressive tax base is why this country is going downhill. And that has a lot more to do with just the deficit: a lot of the money that used to be used for social programs and educating the public about what taxes are for and what govt is for, is now being used by the upper class to generate propaganda.

The progressive tax system can be used to fight the upper class. But now it has been crippled.

[Zero Gravitas]

17. End Corporate welfare

and tax loopholes for the rich. Most income tax is payed by individuals, corporations and the very rich do not pay their fair share.

[Moderator]

18. Locking

Disruptor thread