Across the board tax rate...fair for all?

[Hikergirl]

What "out of control spending" are you talking about?

You are aware of what our deficit is, and how much it increases every year right? If you want to know what out of control spending is, you can start with that.
Talking specifics will probably fall under the political scope and therefore not allowed, but I'm sure you are aware of that too.

 

[PollyannaMom]

She was probably concerned about medical or daycare assistance. Cash and food phase out so you never lose more than you've gained in earnings, but medical has hard cutoffs and I believe childcare does as well. I've known a few families in that position with health coverage over the years, where a raise or promotion would actually cost them hundreds of dollars a month plus hundreds more in deductibles throughout the year because it put them over the cutoff and their employer-sponsored insurance cost much, much more than the new wage added to their bottom line. Or worse, the raise put them over the cutoff but the job didn't offer benefits. In some cases, it might make sense to limit oneself for a period of time (until those kids start school, for example, so the money being spent on daycare can be used for insurance premiums instead).

This true. One of my friends is a single mom and she had to turn a promotion because she would have lost her child care and medical for her 2 children and the raise she would have gotten was not enough to cover what she would have had to pay. She was really disappointed but she could not have lived off the salary she would have left after she paid daycare and medical.

Logical decisions considering how the system is set up, but really sad, and definitely one of the things that should be fixed.

 

[cvjw]

My young adult son used to think like the op’s son - the “rich” should be paying more. Then he got his first real job as an intern at a big accounting firm last summer.

He took one look at all the taxes taken out of his paycheck and immediately changed his tune. Funny how that works when you become one of the “rich”.

 

[Colleen27]

My young adult son used to think like the op’s son - the “rich” should be paying more. Then he got his first real job as an intern at a big accounting firm last summer.

He took one look at all the taxes taken out of his paycheck and immediately changed his tune. Funny how that works when you become one of the “rich”.

I don't think any of us posting here would consider the salary of an entry/intern-level employee to be in the "rich" category.

 

[manning]

As Mr Thatcher said "one day we will run out of the people's money"

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Property taxes (here called rates) based on house value is another similar issue. I believe it should be based on the number of bedrooms not the value of the house.

I like that. My house has 0 bedrooms, a den, a rompus room, a bonus room, an office, and an extra dining room.

You see the issue. You get into the problem of what exactly is defined as a bedroom for tax purposes and how do you enforce it and catch the liars?

 

[georgina]

My young adult son used to think like the op’s son - the “rich” should be paying more. Then he got his first real job as an intern at a big accounting firm last summer.

He took one look at all the taxes taken out of his paycheck and immediately changed his tune. Funny how that works when you become one of the “rich”.

Was this as a summer intern? If so, then he probably got a big refund the following year. Businesses withhold as if he was earning that salary all year.

I consider myself to be one of the rich, and I think the rich should pay more.

 

[longboard55]

Actually spending other than military, social security, Medicare and interest is at record lows vs gdp and has been dropping the last 8 years. The big money goes to interest, social security, Medicare, military and va benefits. Discretionary spending has not been the problem.

 

[lifesavacation]

Actually spending other than military, social security, Medicare and interest is at record lows vs gdp and has been dropping the last 8 years. The big money goes to interest, social security, Medicare, military and va benefits. Discretionary spending has not been the problem.

Yes, this!

The govt spends the majority of its money on Medicare/Medicaid, education, military, interest, social welfare programs, and govt pensions. Discretionary spending is a very small percentage.

 

[Hikergirl]

Military spending is discretionary.
It doesn't matter, we spend more than we "make". That needs to change. Getting into specifics of what can be looked into as far as whether it is essential spending or not is getting too political for the board so we really can't.
Some tax payers may not care to see changes in spending, I'm not one of them. I am all for saving where we can, even if it amounts to a small percentage. That IMO is better than spending and spending and putting off dealing with it and leaving it for our children to deal with.

 

[lifesavacation]

Military spending is discretionary.
It doesn't matter, we spend more than we "make". That needs to change. Getting into specifics of what can be looked into as far as whether it is essential spending or not is getting too political for the board so we really can't.
Some tax payers may not care to see changes in spending, I'm not one of them. I am all for saving where we can, even if it amounts to a small percentage. That IMO is better than spending and spending and putting off dealing with it and leaving it for our children to deal with.

True. I suppose it's all in how you look at it. Probably all (medicare/medicaid, education, social welfare, pensions, military) with the exception of loan interest could be considered "discretionary" and subject to budget cuts.