This letter is in response to Mark Gelbart's letter Feb. 2 ("Government should redistribute wealth"). Mr. Gelbart attributed conservatives' predilection for tax cuts to their own thinly veiled greed. A quick glance through history will show that greed has been an ever-present plague on human societies, even those that "championed" the rights of workers.
As evidence for the need for massive redistribution of wealth, Mr. Gelbart drew a correlation between tax cuts and recession, and linked FDR's tax increases to the economic growth that occurred in the late 1930s. Unfortunately Mr. Gelbart ignores some very serious circumstances. First, the Great Depression was on, meaning the economy had been failing for going on a decade. Thus, because of the massive failure of the private sector, coupled with the failure of the financial system, any government action was almost predetermined to succeed in stimulating the economy. Furthermore, Mr. Gelbart cites inefficiencies of the private sector as a reason for government management of the economy; however, he fails to account for the trillion-dollar deficit that the government has run up. In the private sector, any company that spends more money than it makes for an extended period of time will fail. If we were to scrutinize the U.S. government with the same rigor with which we examine private businesses, we would determine that the government is an utter failure.
Mr. Gelbart indicates that greed and unequal distribution of wealth is the cause of all economic woes; however, until scientists discover a way to eliminate greed from the human heart, then we are resigned to do the best we can with what we've got. Yes, there are fundamental problems with the American economy; however, the answer to our current problems is not to redistribute wealth on a wide scale. Not only would such a system be a betrayal of this country's founding principles, but it would also send us into an economic tailspin from which we would never recover.
John Mark Pittman
Belvedere, S.C.
Comments
There was an unequal distribution of points in Sunday's game which showed that one team made more successful effort than the other in the allotted time. It's obvious Mr Gelbart never grasped the concept of competition. (I'm guessing government school graduate)
PT, it's not about competition. It's about someone paying their fair share of taxes, percentage wise. The richest people in the US pay an average 17% income tax. Why should someone who makes 23k pay 25 per cent, when someone making billions pays only 17%?
How about you back up those percentages with facts GAC....you are dead wrong. The progressive tax system we have taxes the wealthy at a far greater percent as others. If you truly think we should pay a "fair share of taxes, percentage wise" then the wealthy would pay LESS than they do now.......but that's not what you REALLY want, is it?
SisterA, the folks earning 23K "might" be able to deduct $100 or so for their work clothes, or another $100 for training, etc; it remains that they will probably pay the full tax the "schedule" calls for. However, when you write that "The progressive tax system we have taxes the wealthy at a far greater percent as others..." I must ask, do you really believe the wealthy, the corporate giants pay by the "schedule?" As you well know, there are so many tax dodge escape doors in those tax schedules that it would be nearly impossible to enumerate them all (business dinners, travel, expenses, vehicles (including private jets, yachts, and limousines) , homes away for "home," etc., etc. No ma'am, I just can't believe the wealthy are overburdened with taxes. I don't advocate the redistribution of wealth but I sure as hell believe that those that enjoy the plums and cherries society has to offer should at least contribute a lion's share of their gross income to the government in order to ethically maintain their pampered life style. GGpap
No, Abdullah. The capital gains tax is 16% on average. Go check it out. Thus the wealthy, who make most of their money in capital gains has an averaged lower tax rate, that comes out to about 17%. This is not the 33% that should be paid, or at least the same 25% that I pay. That he pays more than I do is of no concern, it's still not equal taxation. Am looking for the data.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/29/irs-high-income-personal-finance-taxes_...
Here you go guys. I back what I say, and don't spout off "it's a shame you don't understand the(insert catchphrase here)."
The top 400 is nothing. Of the 5% wealthy who pay 33% or more I would wager less than .01% are those who are rich enough to avoid the progressive tax. The fact is the top 5% of wage earners support the friggin govt. The fact a few fat cats are criminal doesn't spoil the whole barrel. The fact is the Middle Class don't pay [filtered word] in taxes-this is a progressive system.
GACop, so you want to punish the very people who own companies and industry and provide most of the jobs in this country? Slap them with higher taxes and see how fast they leave the country, taking their money and jobs with them. Countries like Ireland, who are already enjoying a boom economy by lowering corporate taxes, will be glad to have a whole new generation of wealthy Americans as new Irish citizens. Think man.
Capital gains tax is not the same as income tax. Sorry that's so confusing, GaC. Without a plan like the Fair Tax being initiated, I don't see a chance for things to improve. Stealing from the productive to reward the non-productive is still a bad idea.
It'd idiocy, if you ask me. It's as if you were still in school and you made a 100 on a test but were required to give up 10 points to those who failed. If I were rich, I sure as hell wouldn't want to pay more taxes to those who are so lazy as not to get a job. Why pay more taxes for my hard-earned money? The wealthy are wealthy for a reason. Yes, there are some who have inheritant wealth, but they don't make up the general portion of wealthy people.
If you want taxation equality GAC then you should support the flat tax where everyone pays at the same rate. "And so the reign of the anti-Christ (Obama) begins....."
GAC, wrong again. If you make $23,000 anually you get lots of deductions to lower your tax responsibility. You can lower your taxable income by deductiong your Ira's, tuition & fees, student loan interest, etc. Then you get deductions for yourself and each dependent at $3500 each. Add to that your standard deduction before you even look at the tax owed table. It's really hard for a person earning $23,000 to owe any taxes, especially if they are home owners. Just keeping it real, my brother.
Come on folks we all know as the Obamanites are so quick to join in; we that work for a living, earn our possessions MUST give a share of our ILLEGAL GOTTEN RICHES to the dregs of our society who are too lazy to get of their backside to earn their own. As we all know they are OWED by the government and us, and they will continue to be there with their hands out for their free ride for as long as the bleeding hearts and our crooked politicos permit them to be.
I concur patriciathomas re: Mark Gelbert a government school educated (maybe) graduate....
Just remember Geitner who doesn't believe in paying his taxes and was involved in the economic crisis is now going to be in charge of the IRS and finances. Also Daschle who is a lobbyist and will be in charge of those that he has been a lobbyist for. That's like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. He doesn't pay over $100,000.00 in taxes and he's going to be appointed to the administration. Let us know how it works out for you, when you don't pay your taxes. Just remember these are just 2 of the appointees to the barry hussein administration. I guess the blind and gullible dims think there is nothing wrong with not paying you taxes, when your a dim and have been selected by their 'coronated one' to be in his administration.
No American would ever try and avoid paying income taxes, we all know that; but it is curious how quickly we forget airlifting 363 tons of unaccounted-for cash to a war zone. 363 tons of twenties all crispy and new. Bush actually thought a Brazilian was an amount larger than a billion (which he called a kazillion). The little schmuck might not have known much, but he sure knew how to redistribute wealth. Great big cargo planes.
GCAP, capital gains taxes are paid on the earnings of investments. The tax on the initial amount ws paid when earned. Nice try but no good. You are also very very wrong about the tax rate. Look it up. A single worker earning $23000 to $23050.00 pays $3053.00 and that is 13.2739%. A person making 60K and single pays 18.9%. A single person making $357700.00 pays $40052.25 + 33% of the amount over $164550.00 or $103791.75 in taxes. That is 29%. Spout off all you want but check the tax tables at IRS Tax Rates. The wealthy pay their share and then some. I know-I paid over $100000.00 plus $8800.00 est tax every qtr. Info is from the 2008 schedules.
It's funny how some of those on here haven't realized that barry hussein is now the 'coronated one' and Bush isn't in office. We're talking about now and they can't get over what happened in the past. When Bush was in office, they didn't want to talk about what clinton did or had done. Try working on the present and future and the policies/plans of the present administration.
I believe our system of taxes has been a redistribution machine since its inception. Othrwise, we wouldn't need thousands of pages of instructions for various deductions. BTW isn't deductions really a way of directing taxes so that others pay into a general fund, while the donor specifies where his deduction, (taxes) are used, ultimately making the donor into a real hero?
There's nothing funny about it, actually. Bush and his dweeb Paulson bailed out those who brought chaos and destruction to New York's financial district. By those standards, doesn't Osama Bin Laden deserve at least a bonus?
PT: There's also a unequal distribution of IQ points. Seems like you're on the losing side.(I'm guessing a private school graduate, or were you just the one who got picked on in a government school so you hate them so much?)Let's just keep putting the tax burden on the middle class. There's a lot more of us but we don't have high priced lawyers and lobbyists fighting for us.We're not in the clubs and organizations that the big guys are in so we can't wheel and deal and help out our buddies. Since Reagan, we've already seen the tax burden on the uber-wealthy drop dramatically and their incomes skyrocket. The middle and lower class working people are the ones getting crushed. Southern: Seems like those you mentioned backed Obama and are evidently willing to support his policies,unlike Rush($285 million salary and bonus for 2001 through 2008,
$400 million salary and bonus from 2009 through 2016) ,Boortz (whose net worth seems hidden),Rep John Linder-Net Worth: From $5,465,010 to $26,649,998.Ranks 27th among all members of the House. If you think the planners behind the unFair Tax scheme care about the working class folks you are sadly mistaken.
A new barry hussein appointee today that didn't pay her taxes. Looks like the party of hussein isn't the tax and spend administration - just the spend administration. Another "I regret"... and "I'm sorry". What a guy and some say we should respect him. Really vets his choices, doesn't he. Let's just continue to put people into the dim cabinet because they don't believe in the tax laws and they don't pay their taxes anyway. And he continues to say he has faith in his choices. That says a lot about him, doesn't it?
The phrase 'Redistribute Wealth' insults our American heritage. I hope very few in this country can say it without a shudder. But any Christian reading their Bible will quickly discover that the strong indeed oppress the weak. And ultimately we reach the great unanswered question: what happens to those who, despite all opportunity for success in this land, do completely fail.
WW;Add in payroll and sales taxes, subtract all the deductions of the person making over $350K and then give us the percentages. BTW: in 2008 the top 5% paid 39.9% of federal income tax on 22.1% of ADJUSTED gross income. I can't seem to find the unadjusted gross income figures I'm sure they have plenty of deductions), howerver, I did find that the top 10% own 71% of the wealth and that the top 1% own 38%.I also found that the top 300,000 people in the US make as much income as the bottom 150 million.
And the answer is: They get a position with a republican "think" tank "foundation" in Washington, write phony propaganda "books" and appear as often as possible on suspect TV. The rest of the time they spend gazing into mirrors and scrapbooking.
I totally disagree with redistributing the wealth. I do think it is a bad idea. I have worked my butt off with college and such to make the amount of money I am making now. Why do I want to pay for someone else that doesn't want to work. I shouldn't get penalized for working hard to get where I am today. I don't care what anyone says, everyone has the same opportunities for education and work. I started with nothing, but I was able to get grants and student loans for college to help out.
Look, it's very simple: you can always count on your fellow man to pursue his own self interest. That's it. It's not "greed," it's not "hoarding" or whatever else you want to call it. When I go for a job interview, my goal is to get the most money in my contract that I can get from the prospective employer, without making myself so expensive that I become a less desirable candidate for the job. The employer's goal is to pay as little as he can for my services, without dipping so low as to make me apathetic once hired, or to make his available position less attractive relative to other positions. We are both freely pursuing our own self-interest, and it results in a contract to which we both freely agree. THAT is the ideal of the free market. Translate it into any terms you want: hiring a gardener or a relief pitcher, buying a cantaloupe or a Gulfstream, the ideal is that both parties to the contract are willing participants who want to make the best deal they can. When the government takes my money by force to give it to "the less fortunate," or when the government protects monopolies (utilities) b/c they are "too important" to be left to market forces, they do no good.
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