[rextorres]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
So what if the lower income person pays a greater percentage of their income in taxes? That is simple economics. The more money you have to begin with, the more you have left over after you pay for all those things which are the neccesities of life, food, shelter, clothing.

If I buy a new shirt for 20 dollars, that is a much greater percentage of my total monthly income then if Bill Gates buys the same shirt? So he should pay more for it and get nothing more out of it then I do? Just because he can? That's not fair.

The payroll tax is not a flat tax guys. It's not as highly graduated as income taxes, but the more money you make the more you pay in payroll tax. And gas and other use taxes do constitute a greater percentage of total monthly income for a poor person then for a rich one, but so what? See above. Payroll tax and use taxes don't make things level. The poor person doesn't end up paying the same because of them. The rich person still pays a much greater share of the tax bill. And that's fine. Of course the rich person will pay a smaller percentage of their total income in taxes, but using the tax code as a method of income redistribution to change that is just wrong. Of course that's simply an ethical position I choose to take. Can't really debate it with those of you that feel it should be.

Actually Geo the payroll tax is for the first 87K. So someone making $1 million dollars would pay payroll tax as if he made 87K. There are so many more people making less than 87k that more of that revenue comes from people making a lot less.

So when you talk about how much revenue comes into the govt all taxes it turns out the top 20% are now paying less - look it up. And please don't show just income tax it's all money that comes out of a paycheck.

[ September 18, 2003, 20:55: Message edited by: rextorres ]