I hear the word "fair" a lot in politics and the news lately. Mostly when it comes to taxes. So, I'm wondering, what is fair? Is it fair for someone who makes more than a quarter million dollars per year to pay proportionally more taxes than those who earn less? You know what, I think it is.
Less than 2% of tax paying households earn more than $250,000. Less than 2%! You know what that tells me? That those 2% are very hard working, but they are also benefit quite a bit from living in this country. How many people in the word earn that much money annually? A tiny, tiny, TINY amount. Undoubtedly, such wealth is attainable, in part, because we live in this country, and we enjoy the benefits and protections of it. I don't think we realize how much our system of government enables the generation of wealth. It only makes sense to me, then, that those who have benefited so greatly should also return some of that wealth to bolster the system that enabled their success.
I understand that high taxes can be a detriment to business and a healthy economy. I get that. But the reality is that if you earn a quarter of a million dollars a year, a slightly higher tax bracket isn't, in any appreciable way, going to interfere with your happiness -- unless, of course, it's all about the money. And, if you do make that much money, and you are unhappy with how the government would spend it, you are encouraged to give it away yourself, to the causes and the people that you think deserve it the most.
I know that no one likes to pay taxes. And I think it's a healthy battle to try and keep tax rates as low as possible. But at the same time, the incessant whining is getting old.
Why is it those that are talented and work harder than the rest should be responsible for supporting the rest of us?
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that those who earn less that 250k don't work hard, but for some reason I can't look a doctor in the eye that has just delivered my baby and tell him he should have to pay more taxes because he and his family made the sacrifices required to be a physician.
The incessant whining from the government is getting old. Don't tell me that you're going to raise taxes and not curb spending.
The idea we need to take more money from those that are working and give it to those that don't angers me. (Probably because I have fully capable relatives that are milking the system for all it's worth)
I think that there is a misconception about who, exactly, it is that fits into the wealthy category and why it is that they are wealthy. Your example of the Dr. is a good one, I think, for two reasons:
ReplyDelete1) The doctor probably does not make 250k per year in taxable income. In fact, I would guess that very, very few doctors do.
2) Only in the US is it possible for a Dr. to make that sort of money. I think that's a pretty big benefit that he/she is receiving for his/her citizenship. A marginally higher tax bracket seems acceptable to me in light of the increased benefit.
Fundamentally, I really don't think that most people in the wealthy category are more talented or work any harder than those that are not. Instead, I think they are are generally in that position through dumb luck, the hard work of many, many other people, or perhaps even taking advantage of system.
Fundamentally, I think the problem that we are facing as a society is the loss of the social compact between the wealthy and the non-wealthy. We now view wealth as the measure of success, rather than one of the byproducts of it. CEOs and professional athletes seem to be the extreme example of this. Subsequently, we've reach the point that the poor despise the wealthy for their wealth, the wealthy don't acknowledge that their wealth is the result of the contributions and work of many, many individuals.
The reality is that some of us will be wealthy, but must of us won't. I'm not going to begrudge someone their wealth, but I hope that they will acknowledge that they have that wealth because our system of government provides equal protection to us all.
I don't want the government to be in the business of redistributing wealth, but if raising taxes on a few can reduce the pain of cuts on all of us, it seems to be a good idea.
I volunteer to try the higher tax bracket. Pick me!
ReplyDelete