Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Bob Brinker: Market Savant & Radio Host -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kirk © who wrote (4749)	4/26/1998 7:40:00 PM
From: Skeeter Bug	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42834

>>We are not that different in views. Still, I think that if someone earns 10 times as much as I do from the public roads, then they should pay 10 times the taxes. A flat tax does this.<< if we institute a flat tax as you suggest then govt would have to be reduced by 60%-70% - i don't know if america is ready for that... >>You seem to feel having different percentages is fair and I don't. How do you fairly determine what percentage rate is fair? I say this is impossible.<< kirk, weren't you the one who suggested a $10k exemption? well, you have instituted a graduated tax rate w/o even knowing it. your rates are 0% and 10%. fair is in the eye of the beholder and your are right - there will never be a consensus. >>I agree that we need to reduce spending. I just believe we need to choke government to do this since it seems unable to reduce spending on its own rather they say "we have a balanced budget" when in fact they are using Social Security funds (my original point in my original letter to Ms. Boxer<< reagan did this. unfortunately, we are now the largest debtor nation in the world and our budget isn't even balanced 10 years afyer his plan. now we have to siphon (sp?) several trillion to just get to even. imho, it didn't work successfully enough to do it again. if we had this debt back then and the effects would be much, much more damaging. >>I believe graduated tax rates are unfair and discourage work (it does for me as I'd rather try and convince you to lower my taxes than take the time to work harder at my job). I believe fixing the wrongs should take precidence over "can we afford it". I am sure it is not popular view, but I am not running for office either.<< i believe a lower tax rate for those in lower brackets help them to be successful down the road. they can go to school where a higher tax would make it prohibitively expensive. they can use that education (that they wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise) to become an electrical engineer, make $80k instead of $20k, and then spend 10 hours a week complaining about his new tax rate - the one he never would have had if he hadn't been given a break when he was making less money. of course, this is just one example. tax rates ought to comne down. the debt should go to zero. the deficit should be a surplus. especiallky in the most prosperous times this nation has seen. jmo. good luck. it ain't gonna happen b/c it is not in the politicians' self interest.