Fare share?
I always resist the term “Free” when it was attached to government services. After all, those services aren’t really free - someone is paying for them. It can be either my tax money, or someone else tax money. But the appeal of increasing government services, and the notion that they are given for free, is pretty obvious when looking at this set of data:
New data from the IRS will be out in a few weeks on who pays how much in taxes. My contacts at the Treasury Department tell me that for the first time in decades, and perhaps ever, the richest 1% of tax filers will have paid more than 40% of the income tax burden. The top 50% will account for 97% of all federal income taxes, while the bottom 50% will have paid just 3%.
It is pretty obvious why no seeking re-election politician would want to really change the tax system - this is the best way to appeal to large group of voters. Is it the right thing, morally and economically, to do? that was never an issue that bothered politicians.
Tags: Pandering, Taxes, The Tyranny of the Majority, Wealth DistributionRelated posts