Taxes

[bama_wayne1]

Hey, what if we let everyone that wants European benefits move to Europe. Problem solved.

 

[Bodhisattva]

I was chatting with someone at work today and I said something that might lead to a good idea.
Total the tax dollars you sent to federal, state and local. Then allow the taxpayer to shift $1,000 of the total from any once to any other level of government. As long as the total comes out to what it was to begin with.
Me personally, I would shift the entire $1,000 from federal to my city (cities in Virginia are (almost) entirely independent of the counties where they lay, so many city is my county).
My city spends like a tightfisted bunch and I would like to pay cops, teachers, garbage collectors, & firefighters more.
The federal government can stand to lose some weight.
Thoughts?

Our tax structure is upside down. The individual's tax burden to the federal government should be comparatively little (IIRC, 6% per the economic analysis I read a few years back, if enumerated powers mean anything) compared to that of the states/local governments. And with the way the feds squander money, they don't deserve any more. Why keep rewarding bad behavior? Washington will spend every dollar and then some. And still ask for more. Anything that shifts my tax money locally is fine with me.

States generally aren't so stupid, unless it's "federal" money they are spending. If Boston wants to waste billions on the Big Dig or if Alaska wants to build bridges to nowhere or if California wants to give every citizen and non citizen a pony, more power to them as long as it's their own money.

 

[Moro Creek]

I've always favored a flat rate tax but I know it will never happen because it's too logical. Another tax I'm in favor of is a $2.00 gallon gas tax plus a tax on vehicles based on the size engine it has. I.E., if a vehicle has larger than a 3.5 engine, the one time sales tax would be $10,000.00. Between 1.8 and 3.5 engines, a $5,000.00 one time sales tax, and under 1.8 engines, no tax. This would be a win win win situation. It would provide the government with a lot more money to waste, get most of the huge pickups and SUV's off the road, and help clean up the environment.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

'The rich don't pay their fair share' and 4 other tax myths that won't die

The United States has the most progressive income-tax system in the developed world.

reason.com

Every April, Americans spend more than 7 billion hours filing taxes and roughly the same amount of time arguing over them, almost entirely on the basis of several common myths. Here are the five most consequential.

Great article I came across earlier. It took a minute to find an appropriate thread, but I finally did. Holy resurrected threads, Batman!

 

[75thru79]

'The rich don't pay their fair share' and 4 other tax myths that won't die

The United States has the most progressive income-tax system in the developed world.

reason.com

Great article I came across earlier. It took a minute to find an appropriate thread, but I finally did. Holy resurrected threads, Batman!

This should be required reading for high school students. I would hazard to guess that less than 25% of the population knows these facts.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

This should be required reading for high school students. I would hazard to guess that less than 25% of the population knows these facts.

Feeling generous, I see. I would have estimated maybe 10%.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I have posted similar analyses in the past on this board, using IRS statistics.

I'm not sure how one questions arithmetic, but apparently that's been a thing for a while now. If the numbers don't work for you, attack the person putting them forward.

Whatever the problem is, blame it on someone who isn't like you, such as you perceive yourself. Richer, poorer, whiter, more color in his skin, different plumbing, his parents had more (or less) than yours did....whatever. So long as there is one, the perceived difference doesn't matter.

Simon and Garfunkel got it right almost 60 years ago -- A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.

Yes, I have my cynical hat on tonight.