We have a broad spectrum of posters on this site and their belief in the role of government. If you could create a tax policy that covered city, state and federal government taxation, what is the maximum percentage of your income you're willing to have all levels of government tax to pay for all the services you desire? Assume the budget has to be balanced.
If you are also including SS and property taxes, I'd say about 18%. That's pleanty to meet people's basic handouts from the government.
I would normally say 20% or less, but I'm all for everyone being taxed an additional X% to solely get us out of debt. And for paying off people over 50's medicare/caid/SS, but stopping benefits for people younger than that. "Accountability Generation".
I agree. If we had some deep and logical cuts in most of our programs and a balanced budget, I would favor a 5% national sales tax dedicated to the national debt.
BTW, if it could be dedicated only for federal debt payoff, I would be in favor of an additional 5% "debt tax".
It's hard to answer, since I believe in progressive taxation, not a flat tax rate. So, a higher tax rate the further up the wealth spectrum you are. I voted for how much I think is reasonable at my own level.
Yeah, but I posted mine first. Therefore, you just won the Joe Biden S2 Plagiarize Award for 2010. I'm suing.
Is there an industrialized (non-petroleum-based) country anywhere that enjoys a 20% or less tax rate?
For me it's between 35% and 50%, depending on the nation's will. The lesser amount if we only want to limp along as we have, or as much as 50% if we really wanted to get serious about the national debt, universal single payer health care and a revolutionary energy policy that dangled massive carrots for nuclear/solar/etc innovation. I realize you are asking only what I desire, not what the nation desires, but in truth I don't think I can really separate the two. If most of my country disagrees with me on the 50% side, well, I'd rather have the 35% that everybody can put up with. I may have a near-communist economic philosophy, but I'm not pushy about it.
I guess for me it comes down to an issue of "what do we feel we need to pay for" vs. "what we think we should pay for" vs. "what we'd like in an ideal world". Federally, Military and infrastructure (power, freeways, rail/ATC) would fall into "need" for me. "Should" would be secondary education. "Ideal" would be health care. Nowhere would be "welfare" At the community/state level would be primary education, fire and law enforcement "need", intelligent public assistance "should", health care "ideal". I don't know why someone should have to pay 35-50% of their income for anything government-related. And I don't quite get what right the gov't has to my estate on my death, or to my investments in life.
Here's a hypothetical minuscule economy. maxiep goes into his gold mine and digs up $100 worth of gold nuggets. He then pays mook that $100 to paint his fence. mook then pays minstrel that $100 to mow his lawn. Tax man comes along and taxes everyone 50%. mook can pay the $50. minstrel and maxiep get thrown in jail for not being able to pay their tax bill. It costs the govt. $50 for their jail cell. The GDP of this economy is $300. The govt. wants to tax $150 at a 50% tax rate. Of course maxiep could have paid $50 for the fence and mook paid $25 for the lawn job. It sure would suck to be minstrel, taking home $12.50 for his labor. The value of that GDP is $175 and we suck as a nation compared to the one with the $300 GDP.
One problem.... do you really think the government would lower the taxes after the debt was paid off?
Why do you say that? Our current nation of whiners doesn't tolerate nearly the taxation of past generations: http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php What about that graph makes you think if we raised taxes at some point they wouldn't go down soon afterward? The easiest thing in the world to do in modern politics is to offer a tax cut. It's the default response of politicians on both left and right for every problem.
And your point is what...that taxes have gone up since 1981? Because for all the complaining I hear about taxes, your chart pretty much supports my point. They really don't go up. Not long-term.
