The thing that gets me is that a group was mobilized against taxation like yesterdays "Tea Party" with strong right wing ties (locally it was sponsored by a vocal right to life group) that fill the heads of mindless people sucking air, consuming fast food, and wanting to impose their beliefs on everyone else to "make a better United States". They are all talking about how they can not buy fast food or what ever else they desire with an increase in their taxes. What??? Did their taxes increase? Wow, when did that happen?
I attached a chart below to show the tax rate for the top 20% incomes in the United States since 1960. So according to the chart, trickle down economics has been working in full force since 1975. So where are the benefits of this philosophy? Were we not suppose to feel the benefit of the wealthy having more? That is what we were told. With the wealthy having so much more in their pockets to build businesses and hire little people, we should all be doing great by now. But no, what really happen was the wealthy like to keep their money. Then invest in politics to relax financial laws to protect their wealth even more. Or build more wealth on the backs of the hard working middle class. They have ruined financial institutions with these reduced laws and then took home huge golden parachutes and bonuses that one of the smallest bonuses would easily pay a family needs for a lifetime.
Don't get me wrong. I love capitalism if the rules are basically good, simple, and fair. I own a small business myself and would love nothing more to see paycheck be in the higher income tax bracket. And guess what, I personally don't mind paying a higher tax because I would be able to afford it!
I have been a believer of a flat tax above a specific poverty level for a long time. But there is way too much business in services, guidance, and help with taxes, and way too many CPA's out there for this to ever happen. Kind of the same situation with the whole weapons industry after WWII (Ike knew, and tried to stop it) that got a big kick during the Vietnam war. We would all be better off if there was a flat 20-25% tax rate for all. From the low income to the wealthy.
If you look at all the 1st world countries, Denmark has the highest citizen satisfaction of government rating and the highest average income at the same time. Denmark's tax rate is 43% flat! Yes 43%... But the citizens see what their tax money is providing for as individuals, a government, and a society. Great roads and services. Great utilities including in country self-sufficient power production. One of the best semi-socialized medical programs in the world, Canada and Britain are a joke. And all citizens get free education through college! And if you are laid off, rare with a very low unemployment rate of around 3%, you get full unemployment benefits at a living wage and reeducation for the changing work place. This is all done with a fairly small governmental foot print.
I think all this taxation BS that we see and hear right now at rallies, on hate radio, and in politics would go away if we saw tangible proof of improvement. If we could see good things that our taxes were paying for we wouldn't hear a fraction of anger. But the anger is miss placed and directed at a new administration that a group has publicly stated that they want it to fail. I am sorry, 100 days is not enough time to make a dent in the system, but I think we can, with the right people. Remember all, we do not live in a democracy, we live in a republic. We elect representatives and only do we exercise our democracy during an election that requires public involvement. And when you get down to it, the Presidency is elected by representatives also, not a public vote...
