Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Finance, the economy & Economics Their Fair Share

Well, duh. That is what the earned income tax credit is. The point is that there are more people who qualify for it now, thanks to the President and an irresponsible GOP Congress, than there were in 2000. Funny how numbers work, isn't it? In your opinion. Of course, to get there you have to ignore the first clause of Article I, section 8. Minor detail, I know, but inconvenient nonetheless.

This whole discussion, though, boils down to what is "fair"? Is it "fair" that the Fortune 400 richest people has remained constant for most of a decade for the first time since it was started? One of the best things about America is that it gives people the opportunity to "move up" economically, but that has not been true in Republican administrations, especially this one. Is it "fair" that different tax rates apply to investors than wage earners? Is it fair that those with the greater disposable income have a lower tax burden than those who don't? Is it fair that those with wealth are given means to shelter income that those who work for a living don't get?

How many people here have actually lived in poverty, drawn unemployment, had to survive on welfare and foodstamps, wondered how they were going to pay the rent, lived from paycheck to paycheck? Is it fair that the government would take a greater share of their income than that of a CEO who has mansions in five separate states and yacht or jet to take him between them? "Fair" in these arguments usually boils down to whom you wish to feel sympathy for. Does anyone here really believe that an annual income over a million dollars allows more room for taxation than one of under 10 thousand? Is the difference between a $ million in assets and a $ billion insignificant?

Indeed Harv, it is interesting. Otherwise, I would not have mentioned it.

Meanwhile, Harv, the second citation you quoted actually contradicts the WSJ editorial's findings. According to the latter, the 66 Million workers whose income falls below the $35,000 average pay about 3% of the total income taxes. But according to the former, those workers reporting an AGI of $0 to $25,000 actually paid a negative amount of income tax, while those in the $25K to $30K range paid less than the 3% aggregate reported by the WSJ.

Which leaves the folks in the $30K to $35K range to make up for the entire deficit of those under-$25K folks and the shortfall from the $25-$30K folks.

Fuzzy math strikes again!

You should quit while you're ahead! Take another look at the notes; which explain more qualified for EITC because the irresponsible GOP President and GOP controlled Congress took those folks off the tax rolls altogether.

Clearly, "fairness" is a subjective value and thus simply in the eye of the beholder. FWIW, aren't you one of those "whiners" former Senator Phil Gramm was commenting on on his way out of the McCain campaign?

But counselor, you haven't demonstrated the government takes a greater share. FWIW, some will always endure a subsistence life and others will enjoy yachts and mansions; the late, great JC told us the poor would always be with us. As noted earlier "fairness" to some appears to equate to equality of outcome and moreover that some higher temporal authority sit in judgement of those outcomes.

THAT is the key sentence to this whole discussion.

Burden.

and?

If there is any one thing about the question of "fair", it is that one who calls for it relative to taxes will always have a myriad of excuses for picking another man's pocket.
Yours,
Issodhos

or those who have gotten the most FROM society (legally or otherwise...um yeah) should give BACK the most.....or a better way to say it, proportionately how much they TOOK out

There is no difference between the market forces that determine prices and the market forces that determine tax rates. If the people who control the marketplace pick the pockets of a sufficient number of citizens int heir pursuit of wealth, those citizens will at some point reach a critical mass capable of picking those wealthy pockets in their pursuit of the general welfare.

It's a natural system of checks and balances.

with proper pocket picking, the critical mass is incapable of reading, reasoning, and reacting. watch