| | | >> Seriously, listen to me. What shocks me, what I'm truly bitter about, is that the current generation won't pay the taxes to keep this country a first rate place to live and work.
You may be bitter, but your dead wrong. We pay more taxes today than we ever have at any time in history. It is true the MAXIMUM federal income tax rate is lower, but that is a small part of the total picture.
In 2010 the federal government collected about 15% of GDP, roughly the same as in 1950. Of course, it has been higher at times, lower at times. The average in the last 60 years has been around 18%. That's federal.
But we now pay at least that in state income and sales taxes, at least in most states. Everything considered, we're paying more taxes today than ever.
What you're really complaining about -- without knowing it -- is that you're not getting value for the taxes we pay in. Yet you want more.
>> Previous generation sacrificed with hugely higher tax rates, on both the rich and middle class, to build a great country.
Not true, as pointed out above.
>> That infrastructure is crumbling because the current generation is too selfish to pony up, as all previous generations did. Yes we're screwing the next generation, because they're going to have to pay for what the Republicans were too selfish to maintain, much less build on.
The Democrats had total control of government when Obama was elected and he got a trillion dollars in "stimulus" money that could have gone for infrastructure improvements. If that is what you wanted to do. But they blew it on the Solyndras and the boodogles like Electronic Health Records (30B) and all manner of political payoffs. With that trillion you could have fixed every road and bridge in the country. Take it up with your political party.
The entire argument is untenable unless you are willing to consider the facts. The cold, hard reality is that Social Security, Medicare, and now Obamacare subsidies, are the problem. Nothing else matters unless you can those programs.
While it isn't beyond the scope of what government could do, it cannot be done with the current political environment which has become more divided with each election. I believe the Democrats are more responsible for the divisiveness than the Republicans. But there is not that much difference between them to worry about it.
It would be useful, though, if everyone agreed on the facts. Unfortunately, the political process has become one of lying, cheating and stealing your way into office and the only way out that I can see is by returning power to the states. |
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