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Originally posted by Orbax Taxes are useless. I think if citizens put the money directly into local benefits, it would be better money spent than government doing it. Bill Gates donated as much as the US government did in 2005 (over a billion dollars) I think it was and I bet he had a lot less overhead costs in getting that out. It doesnt cost him 2 billion dollars to get 1 out the door which is the feeling I get from our government.

Taxes on this sort of stuff are, indeed, useless.

and lol @ capping income.

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Originally posted by Floorfiller i know what you're all saying...i'm just not really a fan of oh this person is rich so they are obligated to give everything to the less fortunate. same thing with taxes. do rich people have to pay a higher proportion of taxes just because they're successful? i don't think so that doesn't really seem fair to me. i think everything should be proportional.

Yes, flat taxes would be far more equitable, but it's never going to happen because there are too many ignorant and gullible people being led by too many manipulative people who know how to take advantage of them, and can lead them into thinking that the only way for wealthy people to account for their share is by not only having them pay more money, but by paying a higher percentage of that bigger load.

In any case, he's not obligated to contribute a dime. He should, but there certainly aren't any repercussions for not doing so. Despite that fact, FAR more people donate staggering levels of money to charity than do not contribute--levels that you could not possibly even propose to mandate.

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Originally posted by Floorfiller i think everything should be proportional.

Lets take me for example. Before taxes Im above the poverty line. After taxes Im below the poverty line. This is the rule, not the exception. Its not ethical to tax people like this. People making 6 figures or more can handle a 1% increase (which, by the way, would be enough to bring this country out of debt pretty fast).

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Ang, are you running in the next election? Cause I'm gonna move to the US and vote for you.

The last CEO's name was Armand Hammer

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Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie Lets take me for example. Before taxes Im above the poverty line. After taxes Im below the poverty line. This is the rule, not the exception. Its not ethical to tax people like this. People making 6 figures or more can handle a 1% increase (which, by the way, would be enough to bring this country out of debt pretty fast).

well why make the 6 figure persons pay an extra 1%....let's make the 8 figure people pay an extra 10%...they can handle it...

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Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie Lets take me for example. Before taxes Im above the poverty line. After taxes Im below the poverty line. This is the rule, not the exception. Its not ethical to tax people like this. People making 6 figures or more can handle a 1% increase (which, by the way, would be enough to bring this country out of debt pretty fast).

you do realize that they already pay percentages far above whatever you're paying, though, don't you? If you're in the top tax tier here (150,000+), after you get done with all the taxes (and, in some cases, paying them twice, due to the inane set-up), you're paying close to 50% of your income to the government.

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Originally posted by jennypie Ang, are you running in the next election? Cause I'm gonna move to the US and vote for you.

Look out for me in 2036!

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Originally posted by inconspicuous you do realize that they already pay percentages far above whatever you're paying, though, don't you? If you're in the top tax tier here (150,000+), after you get done with all the taxes (and, in some cases, paying them twice, due to the inane set-up), you're paying close to 50% of your income to the government.

My heart bleeds for them. Only 75 thousand a year? That must be rough.

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Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie My heart bleeds for them. Only 75 thousand a year? That must be rough.

so, what, they should be taxed until everyone's down to the same level after taxes?

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while i dont agree with an income cap i do have the same view as orbax that there is a fundamental problem if your account shows that much money.

and ang: 6 figures is not always true. here in southern cali 6 figures is pretty much where you have to be to afford a house! i make 40k a year and i cant even afford a condo let alone a house!

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Originally posted by inconspicuous so, what, they should be taxed until everyone's down to the same level after taxes?

Worked in the USSR!

edit // What Ben said. I make about that if not a little bit more and I'm struggling.

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