Wednesday, February 29, 2012

IS ENOUGH ENOUGH OR NOT?

So...how much is enough federal income tax to pay?

Should we pay 2% (the original guarantee from the federal government as to the limit for income tax)?

Maybe 11% is enough.

From your point of view, maybe 25% or 30% or 40% would be enough.

Maybe 100% should be the level of income taxes paid and then the federal government should decide who gets what portion of that amount.

Who should pay income taxes?

All working Americans?

Most working Americans?

From your point of view, maybe only 51% of eligible Americans should pay federal income taxes.

As a matter of fact, according to our own federal government, only 51% of eligible Americans pay any income taxes at all!

Does that surprise you?

Well, where have you been hiding, in a cave in Wyoming?

Are there any caves in Wyoming?

The fact that only 51% of eligible Americans pay any tax at all has been all over the MainStream media, hasn't it?

Haven't CBS News, MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News and CNN all been screaming about how unfair it is  for only 51% of eligible Americans to pay any income tax at all?

Oh...that's right. They've not mentioned it at all.

The MSN has mostly complained that "rich" Americans don't "pay their fair share."

I wonder why that is.

It's a lie, of course.

The rich pay far more than their fair share.

But that doesn't matter.

To the liberal mind set, no matter how much the "rich" pay, it will not be enough.

So...how much IS enough?

Should steps be taken to see that the 49% of eligible Americans who pay no income taxes at all start paying them?

And if so, how much should they pay?

What would happen if we set a basic "poverty" level and then set a flat tax on every earned dollar above that amount...say about 11%?

Since WWII, regardless of the income tax rate, Americans have paid about 18% of their income to federal income taxes, but that was with the more and more convoluted system we have developed that has resulted in 49% paying none at all.

Why is that fair?

How much is enough?

Is enough enough?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

To go completely off topic, I just wanted to drop in and say "hi Joe, I hope you are well."

So then...

Hi Joe, I hope you are well.

Caleb

Lone Ranger said...

People are so used to being taxed that the thought of paying NO income tax seems alien and radical to them. But if the Founders had wanted the government to tax income, they would have put it in the Constitution.

This country got along just fine for about 137 years without an income tax. A tax on income invariably leads to government intrusion and overreach, massive overspending, loss of freedoms and corruption.

We now elect our leaders, not for their ability to lead, but for their ability to claw back as much tax money to our states as they can. And power-hungry despots enter politics, not to make the country better, but to impose their will on and control the American people.

The best thing this country could do is to repeal the 16th Amendment.

Ducky's here said...

The fact that only 51% of eligible Americans pay any tax at all has been all over the MainStream media, hasn't it?

----
No, 51% pay no income tax. Once you screw up on this point the rest of your post is useless. Just rabies radio agitprop.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

If everyone - EVERYONE - paid just 10% income tax, the government would have more than they need for Constitutionally-approved expenses.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, offered a striking statistic about how few American households pay federal income taxes.

"Let's talk about federal tax reform," he said, referring to suggestions that a restructuring of the tax code could emerge from bipartisan negotiations over extending the federal government’s ability to borrow money. "There has been a lot of discussion about that, where we want to take the tax code with all of its multiple provisions and get it on the table and take a look at it to make sure it is, in my view, flatter, fairer and simpler.

"But right now, the fact (is) that according to the Committee on Joint Taxation, 51 percent -- that is, a majority of American households -- paid no income tax in 2009.

Cornyn took care to refer to households that pay no "income tax," rather than suggesting that they paid no taxes at all. Many Americans who pay no income tax pay other federal taxes, most notably the payroll tax, which funds Social Security and Medicare and is deducted from every working American’s paycheck."

Estimates by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center project that for tax year 2011, 46.4 percent of households won’t have any income tax liability. However, of this number, 28.3 percent will pay payroll taxes, the center projects. Of the remaining 18.1 percent with neither income nor payroll tax liability, 10.3 percent are elderly and 6.9 percent are not elderly but have incomes lower than $20,000. In other words, all but a tiny sliver of Americans without either income tax or payroll tax liability are either elderly or poor.

Some families who pay no federal income tax may be liable for state income taxes (and local property taxes, sales taxes and the like). But Cornyn began his remarks by talking about "federal tax reform," so we won't fault him for not mentioning that.

There are enough different ways to look at the tax burden to allow all sides to pick and choose tax statistics that favor their positions.


SOURCE: Politifact, which deemed this "TRUE."

sue hanes said...

Joe - Of course there are caves in Wyoming - silly.

Didntja see The English Patient where he leaves her to d*e in one?

What a Beautiful Movie - especially the scenes during the sand storm and the car gets buried.

I wouldn't like that - Joe.

Thanks.

Private to Caleb - How ya been - Big Guy. You promised to call but so far nothing.

Ducky's here said...

Also Shaw they never fail to mention that Federal revenues from SSI taxes and income taxes are nearly equal and SSI is a regressive tax.

So taxation has become much more regressive as the income tax is lowered but Joe seems oblivious.

Joe said...

Ducky: Actually, 49.5% of Eligible Americans pay no federal income taxes.

But either way (49.5/50.5 or 50.5/49.5) it is dispicable...don't you think?

SK: I have federal income taxes whitheld from my paycheck over and above SS and MEDCRE.

What a messed up system!

We need to go flat tax and soon!

Joe said...

Caleb: Hey! I'm sorry I have been so sluggish about getting back to you. I have had some form of medical test proceedure almost every Thursday. I'll be having a hip replaced on the 20th of this month. I have a chemical/nuclear stress test tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to the hip thing, because my pain has reached my tolerance threshold.

When this is over and I can walk again, I'll treat you to lunch at the establishment of your choice.

Z said...

HI, Joe...

Nobody wants to pay tax, but, to those who say we shouldn't pay anything, how do things like streets and military get paid for?
I'm curious, because we did seem to do better as a country before taxes.

Joe said...

Z: Before the income tax, we collected excise taxes and then lived within our budget.

Not going to happen today.

Joe said...

Glenn E.Chatfield: The Constitution? Who pays attention to that any more?

Joe said...

Glenn E Chatfield: I've been spending some time readin articles in your blog.

Very well done! I love it!

Anonymous said...

Joe - 'The Constitution? Who pays attention to that anymore?'

I'll tell ya who pays attention the Really Cool Constitution of the United States these days.

I do - Joe.

I even have a Constitution Blog.

Of course I did get a little bit confused when tried to take it Article by Article - and analyze it.

But I'm ok now - Joe.

In fact - Joe - later today I'm gonna Post a Constitution Quiz - and anyone can come there and see Just How Well They Really Know -
the Constitution.

Thanks Joe.

sue hanes said...

Joe - I'm sorry about your Hip Replacement.

I hope you recover from it ok - but in the meantime while ya are recuperating - PLEASE CONTINUE TO BLOG.

Joe.