If I proposed a tax on Gay people, I would be called Homophobic

Ted, if this was not so true it would be terribly funny. I have seen it over the years, the "prominent" and well to do citizens had all kinds of nasty rumours started about them. They were the ones that people wanted to believe the worst of.They have the money to start new businesses and provide jobs, why do we have to be discriminatory and tax them just for doing well?

I do not hate rich people. In fact I do not hate any particular group of people I do dislike even detest certain individuals but not from any particular group. However I think very rich people who splurge on extra luxuries. Who needs three or four mansions, yachts or private jets?? You can only use one at a time. So yes I think people who throw their money away on unimportant luxury toys should pay extra taxes...they probably would not even miss it!

As you know from past discussions, I very much agree with you on this. I have a friend that is very wealthy and I hear him go on about this all the time. He is actually very compassionate towards those that are not as well off. He has some rental properties and this one tenent went through a tough financial time. He lowered his rent to 200.00 a month for a year rather than evict him. Still, the rent was always late and sometimes not at all. Both adults were working and I knew them. They were buying their son all sorts of expensive toys etc. I told my friend this. It was ridiculous. I have one income, and even in low income housing pay way way more than 200.00/mth for my rent. Well, he eventually did tell them that they would have to pay up or he was going to start eviction proceedings. Their reaction? They badmouthed him saying that he didn't understand and he had more than enough money and didn't need their money. geez. I think everyone should be taxed a base percentage of income and that includes welfare.

It's not the same at all. It's about everyone pitching in. We need X amount of money and the top 10% of Americans have 90% of the wealth. May or not be their fault the country is in debt, but whatever happened they ended up with most of the pie. Look at it in simple terms. 10 people, 200 pies. To the poor guy 1 pie, to the next 8, 4 each, to the last man 167 pies. When someone comes into that room demanding pie guess who everyone is gonna look at. The guy with 167 pies, that's all that matters. If the gov needs to collect 30 pies, guess what there are barely 30 pies between the other 9 people, so guess who is gonna be forced to give up some pie? Now had the pies been more evenly distributed everyone might be expected to pitch in, but that's not how the American pie is right now.

Yeah, "rich" is definitely a race. How silly! One of my best friends comes from a very rich family, he's going to study fashion and design in Paris for a while, and I'm awfully proud of him. I'm hoping to marry one of my other best friends, my very best friend in fact, who came from a very, very poor family. I love both of these people. But I can see why, in this country, it would make sense for the rich to pay more taxes. If I were president, I would make the nation run on love and the laughter of children, but sadly, I'm not, so the nation runs on money. It's got to come from somewhere. It'd be great if the country weren't so split up, with accusations of hatred, where there should be brotherhood and unity.

Hmmm people who are just rich with out doing anything should be taxed but those who have to work for it should be give a bit of a break.

You make sense, but considering that the people who are promoting this are "rich," what's their incentive? Don't presidents and congressmen pay taxes? Something about this I just don't get and I'm not trying to argue, I just don't understand. Anyway, any time a group is singled out for special treatment, negative or positive, you can be sure it's not fair to them or anyone else.

Imagine we were all travelling in a vehicle that broke down. I propose the gays must push the hardest, I would be called homophobic, if I proposed black people must push the hardest I would be called racist, if I proposed the disabled people must push hardest I would be called insane. BUT If I proposed the fit, strong people must push hardest, I would be called sensible. Thus it is with taxes all the best urban

Oh there is two words for that now - Covetousness or Envy Yes if you propose a tax on the rich, it is because you are mad that they make more money then you and your goal is to reduce what they make to equal yours. Come to think of it, it is communism when no matter how hard one worked, he only made the same amount as everyone else. Except of course for the leaders, they were exempt. The wealthy also start businesses, they donate to charities, but then they are likely to donate to people who are trying to beter themselves, and not to someone who just takes in welfare, wants to increase the population of the area without taking responsibility, etc.

hi parated I thought this was just that the rich pay more as they can afford too while a lot of the working poor cannot afford huge taxes so I do not see the point of your argument. If I were a wealthy person say like Bill Gates I would expect to pay more income taxes than myself who are retired and on social security and ssi,in fact I get so damned little I am not even taxed. lol. but you make it sound like they are the only people here being taxed when all working people are taxed and it should be according to income why not? I do not hate anyone really .

Grrr. Leftists forget that we are guaranteed equal opportunities, not equal outcomes. The government cannot "give" us happiness. First of all, we all define happiness differently. (I'm really surprised at how many who receive government assistance think that happiness comes in the latest technology, while those of use who are actually responsible for paying for their fun are forced to have lessor toys.) Secondly, if the government wants to "give" you something, since they have nothing to give, they have to steal it from someone else. The people who should be resentful are those who work hard all of their lives, whose families miss out on some family time while parents spend long hours working for the future, and who see their hard work stolen from them to give to someone who sits at home doing nothing. Is this a stereotype? Yes, it is. But if you talk to 2 dozen people who get unemployment, probably 2 have actually left the house looking for work. The others play at finding work on the internet, then complain when their benefits are going to be cut off.

Excellent point of view, but many people make their fortunes by doing illegal stuff and build an empire from that. But those who have made it by themselves and they were taxed once for every income they have made, then they should be left alone. I don't hate rich people, I admire them and I would love to be like them. They are like professional athletes, they are extraordinary business people and they should be acknowledged, don't forced to enrich the state.

OMG. You are SO right. We tax smokes, so we hate cancer: Dang us. Seriously, the concept of taxing the rich comes not from hate, but responsibility. Those who benefitted the most from America's systems should pay the most in taxes. Not to mention that the wealthy (the top 5% ) are completely outnumbered in free political debate. This is a hard concept to understand for some people. Sure we don't like it: All 5% of us that are affected. Unfortunately not everyone in America is as rich as us, ParaTed, so they have decided we owe them, what with us building our financial empires on the back of their sweat and trust, and obviously they don't trust us to do good things with our money. Now if you said you can't tax Blacks more because they don't make any money, then you'd be racist. If you'd said a tax on Jewish communities would be no diferent than taxing the wealthy, you might be called anti-semitic. If you said the elderly could afford more taxes because they didn't need it where they were going, then you might hate the elderly. And if you said you couldn't tax the disabled because they are worthless cripples, then you'd be pretty heartless! PS - People DO hate the rich!

LOL I never heard that idea. I think at worst it's jealousy, not hatred.

Remember when the Income tax was first proposed the average salary was around $3,000, meaning that most workers made that amount or less. The standard deduction was $3,000 so if you made $3,000 or less you paid no taxes. The top 1% of wage earners were the only ones who paid taxes and that is how it was sold. They only had to pay 1% of their income in taxes. It worked great and soon the rate was increased and the deduction stayed the same except now the average wage had increased. Fast forward to 2008. Senator Obama (running for President) when he talked about the rich he mentioned two figures in taxing the rich. One was $250,000 or more and the other was the top 5% (those making above $176,000). Which is the rich? He also told Joe the Plumber that he wanted to share the wealth - share it with who? If he is talking about making things equal that would mean that people making above the medium salary $46,000 a year would be considered rich. It does not take the government long to realize that they never have enough money and if they can raise the taxes just a little bit it would solve the problem. However one President saw it differently: “Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large federal deficits on the other,” this Democrat said. “It is increasingly clear that...an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits.” He went on. “In short," he said, "it is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now.” And that’s exactly what John F. Kennedy did. The 35th president of the United States, who delivered those remarks at a Dec. 14, 1962, speech to the Economic Club of New York, made good on his pledge.

I think a lot of people hold grudges against well off people for many reasons. Mainly because I think of stereotypes. However not all rich people are arrogant and selfish! A lot of well to do people have worked their butts off to get to where they are today. It's almost like people have the mind set of 'well you're nice and comfortable- you can bloody well pay more tax than me then'. I understand how people can think like this but I do believe that it is wrong. If someone has worked their guts out to get where they are then good for them, doesn't mean they should have to pay more tax than others. I believe proposing taxes on the rich is 'classist'.

In that case, U.S government is all of the above, your proposal is a bit too late.

This is exactly the debate we've been having against this supposed "graduate tax". If you get a decent job after uni, you can expect to pay back significantly more of a student loan, than everyone else - the majority of people won't ever repay it all. So what's the point in getting a decent job? There's no encouragement to, when those with worse paying jobs won't have to pay off the student loans and so will end up BETTER OFF?!