What is fair for the rich? (poll)

As long as you took the polls and voted for the article I am very happy for you. However the question was not about the inner peace, but rather the "fair taxes".

Good for you, thanks for playing. Where at are you expating?

I heard some good things about them, but can't imagine moving to another country and culture yet again.

Thank you for your opinion. I kind of share some of those feelings, however personally favor the consumption-based tax system, but the polls at the moment show us in the minority. Did you vote for the article?

Forgot the name of the Republican Congressman who proposed a law, that would allow people to volunteer part of their income to the IRS - take a wild guess which party torpedoed the proposal?

Can you provide a source to your "Republican Congressman" who proposed this law, as well as a link to how the Democrats "torpedoed the proposal?"

Please allow me to re-iterate: "forgot the name".

Did push the Humbug option?

In short, all taxpayers may well be subsidizing charitable contributions of the rich with their own tax payments. In any case, the treasury still loses.

Just exactly how they do that, is something like 60% pay no income tax at all?

It doesn't include Medicare or Social Security tax, which they DO pay.

Ahhh, the things that was not to be directed at general use, and then was used for the Fed purposes anyways. Yes they do pay that, as does the rest of the middle class. Please clarify for me who is subsidising and who is using the charitable contributions?

Please look at this chart, and talk to me about "fair share" again

Ahh, the luxury tax, sounds yammy

That's why I propose a graduated sales tax. The higher the price (or value) of the item, the higher the tax rate. Need to eat out, but you can generally only afford Denny's? Tax on that is relatively low. Want to eat at Snobs R Us? Half the cost of your high-end meal will be in taxes, b1tch! Would keep taxes low on basic necessities, but rake those over the coals with megataxes who want to buy expensive stuff.

Consumption-based taxation is my favorite, the problem with it is the black market. I see no reason why Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, could not pretend to be a cash-only business.

Agree that black markets would be an issue, but that could be in-part mitigated by extremely harsh penalties for cheating the system: If you're caught not paying sales taxes, then you owe four times the amount you would have had to pay. If you cannot afford it, then your possessions are sold off to pay for it. Make a few examples of the cheaters like that, and fear would keep most in line - as it already does in the case of income taxes.

Do names Marion Barry and Tim Geitner mean anything to you in that respect? Also did you look at the pictures on the article? Criminalization of society will tends to erode economy, not help. Actually instead of attacking the proprietor, I would the burden onto the consumer, a lot more to lose, for a lot less money.

what about the dividends and interest income that would not be taxed? I just don"t think you could tax sales enough to make ends meet without killing sales and slowing the economy even more. The graduated tax would push even the uper middle class to by more cheap crap and not produce the tax needed.

All good points, but right now we are trying to analize the "the rich should pay their fair share of taxes", not to build the perfect tax system

Rick The idea of the consumption tax is to stop taxing income, and only tax spending, that is not investment. The idea is exactly to have the rich to invest more, to create a more robust economy. It will vastly improve the employment numbers, and will allow us cut the government spending by a lot. I'd much rather see more jobs created, than more money wasted by the feds.

like tax cuts for the last 8 years?

Nope, those were still the income taxes.

it is just a another way to shift taxes away form the people that can best afford them and put the burden on the less fortunate

Like I said - feel free to answer my questions, and feel free to start your own poll. You are leading this conversation off the topic, please do not do this. Thank you.

You ask what is fair for the rich?I gave my opinion what is off topic about that ?

I asked it in the narrative of the specific questions. Instead of sticking to the conversation, you gave me a whole bunch of your own questions, without even attempting to answer any of mine.

Could it be that you just don't agree?

Don't agree with what? With the fact that you are asking these questions? Is that why I said that they all were good questions? I just don't agree that my vine is proper forum for discussing your questions. On my vine, please stick to my questions, if you want to discuss yours - start your own and I promise to come and give a piece of my mind. Thank you for participation.

All good questions, all off-topic. Are you starting your own poll with these? If so - post the link, and I'll happily come and vote, and discuss it with you. Otherwise let's stick to the current narrative - with all these things in mind (your mind) - what are your answers to my questions?

I think Mr. Rabbit doesn't like it when someone takes the other side.

Nobody does :-). Having said that - what "other side" is not represented in the poll?

begs the question, What is fair for the poor?

Agreed

Before we establish what is fair for the rich, should we not first determine what is fair for the poor?

Perhaps. If you are saying that I started at the wrong place, I can see that argument, but I'd like to finish one discussion before jumping into the next one.

Does fairness not require consideration of the population as a whole when discussing rewards and consequences.

Not when one portion of the population foots the lion's share of the bill, while the other screams for more.

I felt it was an appropriate question which lent itself to the discussion, but since you did not, I will take care to pass on your articles in the future

I see, so when I offered to visit your vine, and discuss your questions, you took it as a refusal. Well, I am sorry to hear that. I respect your decision, and hope you will reconsider.

Please refer to 4.5

Step one is to fix the corrupt political system.

Honest incorruptable politicians? I am afraid we may not be able to afford that much money :-)