Should we tax churches? (Not time to bash religion, we're talking about money)

[dame theory]

Originally Posted by TennHouse2

Originally Posted by Dame Theory

Originally Posted by TennHouse2

Originally Posted by Dame Theory

Originally Posted by Tupac Jordan

For all of you wanting churches to be taxed I hope you enjoy your time in hell.

Thus why those that get scared of "hell" back off. 
Mental midgets

...

Its a cycle that feeds itself. 

and this is why u shouldn't be starting any threads that have anything to do with Religion 

I just wondered why nothing in the form of legislation ever appeared then I realized that "hell" was probably the main thing stopping a lot of people. 

Just sucks is all. 

thats exactly what you should have said instead of....mental midgets 

....see the difference? its starting to get obvious that u get in these threads just to put down people with a different veiwpoints then you

Its hard sometimes... I know...

saying whats on my mind sneaks out at times... 

 

EDIT Some legislation suggests that if they're really non profits that they should undergo much more strict regulation to ensure that they're not operating as for-profit organizations...which I'm DEFINITELY in line with. 

 

[rockybalboa25]

Do you want to tax not-for-profits as well?

You may not agree with everything each church does but in effect, they aren't much different than a generic not-for-profit.

 

[rockybalboa25]

Do you want to tax not-for-profits as well?

You may not agree with everything each church does but in effect, they aren't much different than a generic not-for-profit.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa25

Do you want to tax not-for-profits as well?

You may not agree with everything each church does but in effect, they aren't much different than a generic not-for-profit.

If a church is a 503(c) than of course they shouldnt be taxed but you know good and well a lot of these megachurches do make profit.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa25

Do you want to tax not-for-profits as well?

You may not agree with everything each church does but in effect, they aren't much different than a generic not-for-profit.

If a church is a 503(c) than of course they shouldnt be taxed but you know good and well a lot of these megachurches do make profit.

 

[mojodmonky1]

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

 

[mojodmonky1]

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

 

[primeminister202]

yes

 

[primeminister202]

yes

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

The problem is you are just basing this off of pure opinion and absolutely no facts. Look at link I posted EVERY downturn in the American economy can go hand in hand with lowering the tax rate for the highest tax bracket.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

The problem is you are just basing this off of pure opinion and absolutely no facts. Look at link I posted EVERY downturn in the American economy can go hand in hand with lowering the tax rate for the highest tax bracket.

 

[kdawg]

Originally Posted by Sundizzle

Originally Posted by Toy Collector123

Originally Posted by Sundizzle

I'm not exactly sure how a church is run fiscally. Anything that profits and operates in the US should get taxed imo. Taxes pay for a general sense of well-being (perceived or real) for the entire country. They pay for the roads, the military that protects us, etc and as a church in some indirect way utilizes all this to operate I see no reason for them to be tax-exempt.

Honestly though, I don't think corporations/business should be taxed at all. Same way I don't think there should be a sales tax.

I think there should be a state income tax, and a federal income tax and that they are relative to the amount of money that you made and to the amount of overall 'wealth' you possess. A person making 35k a year should be getting taxed extremely minimally. However, there would be provisions of wealth. Meaning if this is your first year being a baller and you don't have any saved wealth then you wouldn't be taxed as much as someone who has 20 mill in the bank and made the same amount of money as you that year.

My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)

Additionally, there shouldn't be ANY sales tax on cars etc, only a 'luxury' tax or a 'health' tax. Ie, high end cars, any cars above 30k, yachts, etc. Health tax on items with high fructose sugar, alky, cigarettes, etc.

Additionally, all fast food/non restaurants should be pay per calorie, $1 for 150 calories. So a 750 calorie item/meal would be $5. Would force them to rethink 'fast food' to make it healthier and calorie conscious.

Sorry to ramble on about my own opinions but was just randomly chatting with a friend about it an hour ago.

Son, are you serrrrrriiosly serious?

You want churcchs to be taxes but not businesses 

you wanna tax at 73%

you waanna pay per calorie 

It's easy to stoneface an idea without seriously thinking it through ye?

-Obesity 

-Inequal distribution of wealth 

In the US, as of 2007,
Financial Wealth

Top 1%: 42.7% of the wealth
Next 19%: 50.3% of the wealth
Bottom 80%: 7.0% of the wealth

And I wasn't saying that churches should be taxed and corporations shouldn't...i was answering the OP and then giving my opinion.  I was saying neither should be taxed.  Thinking further about it though, I think corporations and churches etc should be taxed heavily once a certain profit level is reached.  They are benefiting from society and are indebted in giving back.  I hate the concept of charity etc...it doesn't address the real problem but instead serves to cure rather than prevent.

As for the pay for food thing, it's just an idea, like a concept car.  To get thinking done in a different way.  The sedentary American lifestyle is terrible for the health of our nation.  Damn near every state is obese.  It is because of our fast food and what we value in our food.  The recent change to show calories at fast food places has had no statistical impact on the choices people make in their foods.  At this point it is not lack of knowledge by the consumer, but rather an institutionalized way of thinking about food.  Unless we hurt the pockets of the fast food corporations they have no incentive to change and make healthier alternatives also the more cost effective choice.  No one living in the projects is going to pay $8 for an unhealthy burger when a similar healthier alternative is $3.

These sort of ideas get mooted every so often and I'm pretty sure all the "experts" say that those sort of things actually unfairly tax those who are less well off - the food one is easy - they eat crap. Basically with that most of the people earning decent money wouldn't pay much tax and average employees would pay more than their share. Doesn't seem fair to me.

 

[kdawg]

Originally Posted by Sundizzle

Originally Posted by Toy Collector123

Originally Posted by Sundizzle

I'm not exactly sure how a church is run fiscally. Anything that profits and operates in the US should get taxed imo. Taxes pay for a general sense of well-being (perceived or real) for the entire country. They pay for the roads, the military that protects us, etc and as a church in some indirect way utilizes all this to operate I see no reason for them to be tax-exempt.

Honestly though, I don't think corporations/business should be taxed at all. Same way I don't think there should be a sales tax.

I think there should be a state income tax, and a federal income tax and that they are relative to the amount of money that you made and to the amount of overall 'wealth' you possess. A person making 35k a year should be getting taxed extremely minimally. However, there would be provisions of wealth. Meaning if this is your first year being a baller and you don't have any saved wealth then you wouldn't be taxed as much as someone who has 20 mill in the bank and made the same amount of money as you that year.

My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)

Additionally, there shouldn't be ANY sales tax on cars etc, only a 'luxury' tax or a 'health' tax. Ie, high end cars, any cars above 30k, yachts, etc. Health tax on items with high fructose sugar, alky, cigarettes, etc.

Additionally, all fast food/non restaurants should be pay per calorie, $1 for 150 calories. So a 750 calorie item/meal would be $5. Would force them to rethink 'fast food' to make it healthier and calorie conscious.

Sorry to ramble on about my own opinions but was just randomly chatting with a friend about it an hour ago.

Son, are you serrrrrriiosly serious?

You want churcchs to be taxes but not businesses 

you wanna tax at 73%

you waanna pay per calorie 

It's easy to stoneface an idea without seriously thinking it through ye?

-Obesity 

-Inequal distribution of wealth 

In the US, as of 2007,
Financial Wealth

Top 1%: 42.7% of the wealth
Next 19%: 50.3% of the wealth
Bottom 80%: 7.0% of the wealth

And I wasn't saying that churches should be taxed and corporations shouldn't...i was answering the OP and then giving my opinion.  I was saying neither should be taxed.  Thinking further about it though, I think corporations and churches etc should be taxed heavily once a certain profit level is reached.  They are benefiting from society and are indebted in giving back.  I hate the concept of charity etc...it doesn't address the real problem but instead serves to cure rather than prevent.

As for the pay for food thing, it's just an idea, like a concept car.  To get thinking done in a different way.  The sedentary American lifestyle is terrible for the health of our nation.  Damn near every state is obese.  It is because of our fast food and what we value in our food.  The recent change to show calories at fast food places has had no statistical impact on the choices people make in their foods.  At this point it is not lack of knowledge by the consumer, but rather an institutionalized way of thinking about food.  Unless we hurt the pockets of the fast food corporations they have no incentive to change and make healthier alternatives also the more cost effective choice.  No one living in the projects is going to pay $8 for an unhealthy burger when a similar healthier alternative is $3.

These sort of ideas get mooted every so often and I'm pretty sure all the "experts" say that those sort of things actually unfairly tax those who are less well off - the food one is easy - they eat crap. Basically with that most of the people earning decent money wouldn't pay much tax and average employees would pay more than their share. Doesn't seem fair to me.

 

[e3lal]

Originally Posted by Cronicmolemolereturns

Living in a country with no tax whatsoever FTW/FTL

Taxes are a necessity, but I'm tired of funding wars and getting subpar expensive education.  They need to put our money to better use.

Tax the churches!

 

[e3lal]

Originally Posted by Cronicmolemolereturns

Living in a country with no tax whatsoever FTW/FTL

Taxes are a necessity, but I'm tired of funding wars and getting subpar expensive education.  They need to put our money to better use.

Tax the churches!

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by E3LAL

Originally Posted by Cronicmolemolereturns

Living in a country with no tax whatsoever FTW/FTL

Taxes are a necessity, but I'm tired of funding wars and getting subpar expensive education.  They need to put our money to better use.

Tax the churches!

The people that run our control our country can afford to send their children to private schools so they could care less. The Middle Class needs to take control of the US.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by E3LAL

Originally Posted by Cronicmolemolereturns

Living in a country with no tax whatsoever FTW/FTL

Taxes are a necessity, but I'm tired of funding wars and getting subpar expensive education.  They need to put our money to better use.

Tax the churches!

The people that run our control our country can afford to send their children to private schools so they could care less. The Middle Class needs to take control of the US.

 

[mojodmonky1]

Originally Posted by usainboltisfast

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

The problem is you are just basing this off of pure opinion and absolutely no facts. Look at link I posted EVERY downturn in the American economy can go hand in hand with lowering the tax rate for the highest tax bracket.

I think we are trying to argue different points here.  I'm not trying to disprove your point that EVERY downturn in the economy is attributed or even related to the lowering of the tax rate for the wealthy.  I'm arguing that extreme taxation of the wealthy is an unjust solution that unfairly penalizes those who have (arguably) worked harder so that they are in a position to make more money.  

 

[mojodmonky1]

Originally Posted by usainboltisfast

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

The problem is you are just basing this off of pure opinion and absolutely no facts. Look at link I posted EVERY downturn in the American economy can go hand in hand with lowering the tax rate for the highest tax bracket.

I think we are trying to argue different points here.  I'm not trying to disprove your point that EVERY downturn in the economy is attributed or even related to the lowering of the tax rate for the wealthy.  I'm arguing that extreme taxation of the wealthy is an unjust solution that unfairly penalizes those who have (arguably) worked harder so that they are in a position to make more money.  

 

[|A-Man|]

It definitely should. Same goes for mosques and synagogues/temple.

There's suppose to be a separation between church and state anyway. Churches not being taxed is unconstitutional.

 

[|A-Man|]

It definitely should. Same goes for mosques and synagogues/temple.

There's suppose to be a separation between church and state anyway. Churches not being taxed is unconstitutional.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by usainboltisfast

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

The problem is you are just basing this off of pure opinion and absolutely no facts. Look at link I posted EVERY downturn in the American economy can go hand in hand with lowering the tax rate for the highest tax bracket.

I think we are trying to argue different points here.  I'm not trying to disprove your point that EVERY downturn in the economy is attributed or even related to the lowering of the tax rate for the wealthy.  I'm arguing that extreme taxation of the wealthy is an unjust solution that unfairly penalizes those who have (arguably) worked harder so that they are in a position to make more money.  

You failed to look at the chart I see. The rich have ALWAYS been taxed incredibly more than the poorest tax bracket. Right now is the lowest difference between tax brackets we've seen.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by usainboltisfast

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by HOVKid

Originally Posted by Sundizzle


My tax bracket opinion:
0-15k - no taxes
16k-27k - 4% taxes (2% federal)
28k-49k - 8% taxes (4% federal)
50k-75k - 13% taxes (6.5% federal)
76-129k - 24% taxes (12% federal)
130k+ - 73% taxes (first 129k at 24%)
  

You did not seriously say the firt $130K of my money should be taxed at 24%, and the rest at at 73%, did you?

Here's the way taxes should work:  No matter what you make = 20%

im sorry but sundizzles tax bracket idea is laughable.  by no means am I rich, I'm not making big stacks like our resident attorney HOVkid here.  But I completely agree with where he's coming from.  I cant imagine HOV just randomly fell into his gig.  He put in the time, effort, money (for law school) to get to where he is.  So his reward for working harder than the next person is to pay MORE in taxes to cover for the shortcomings of those who dont or cant make money?

im sorry to go so far off topic here, but taxing people who make more money an obscene tax rate is not the answer.  If I was going to get taxed 73 friggin percent of my earnings, what incentive do I have to work harder and make more money?  A stupid high tax rate on higher income earners is just going to make them do 1 of 2 things

1.  be lazy, work less, dont innovate, dont add any value to the economy since its not worth it.  
2.  get better at hiding my income

I've had a similar conversation with my wife's cousin before.  He's talkin madness about how our society needs a redistribution of wealth to help the common man.  F that.  I work HARDER than the common man and I should be compensated for it.  It's easy to spit gibberish about "share the wealth maaaan" when all you do is sit at home smoke buds and talk about how the world is effed up and rich people be needing to share their money with me.

The problem is you are just basing this off of pure opinion and absolutely no facts. Look at link I posted EVERY downturn in the American economy can go hand in hand with lowering the tax rate for the highest tax bracket.

I think we are trying to argue different points here.  I'm not trying to disprove your point that EVERY downturn in the economy is attributed or even related to the lowering of the tax rate for the wealthy.  I'm arguing that extreme taxation of the wealthy is an unjust solution that unfairly penalizes those who have (arguably) worked harder so that they are in a position to make more money.  

You failed to look at the chart I see. The rich have ALWAYS been taxed incredibly more than the poorest tax bracket. Right now is the lowest difference between tax brackets we've seen.

 

[mojodmonky1]

Originally Posted by usainboltisfast

You failed to look at the chart I see. The rich have ALWAYS been taxed incredibly more than the poorest tax bracket. Right now is the lowest difference between tax brackets we've seen.

Just cause it used to be a certain way doesnt make it right.

And its much harder to give and then take away, then to never have given at all. 


I'm not trying to fire shots at you brother, as I always welcome a good chat with someone who has a different point of view (as long as they can convey their perspective intelligently)

but what income bracket do you fall in?  I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you aren't in the $130K+ bracket if you are so quick to agree with sundizzles proposed taxation structure.  Its easy to give away money "for the good of the people" when its not your money you are giving away.

I'll admit it.  I'm probably a hypocrite.  I try to be a better person and donate to worthy charities or help those who are in need.  As a Christian it is my duty to do so.  But in my core, (and some days are more of a struggle than others), I feel like I am fighting my inate sense of selfishness.  I like nice things.  who doesnt?  I dont expect any handouts.  I work hard for what I have.  If there is something I want but cant afford, thats on me.  I either need to step my game up, or lower my aspirations.  I also am willing to give my FAIR share in terms of taxes.  Flat tax? Fair.  Obscene 70+% tax rate just cause I make more money than the next guy?  UNFAIR.

 

[mojodmonky1]

Originally Posted by usainboltisfast

You failed to look at the chart I see. The rich have ALWAYS been taxed incredibly more than the poorest tax bracket. Right now is the lowest difference between tax brackets we've seen.

Just cause it used to be a certain way doesnt make it right.

And its much harder to give and then take away, then to never have given at all. 


I'm not trying to fire shots at you brother, as I always welcome a good chat with someone who has a different point of view (as long as they can convey their perspective intelligently)

but what income bracket do you fall in?  I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you aren't in the $130K+ bracket if you are so quick to agree with sundizzles proposed taxation structure.  Its easy to give away money "for the good of the people" when its not your money you are giving away.

I'll admit it.  I'm probably a hypocrite.  I try to be a better person and donate to worthy charities or help those who are in need.  As a Christian it is my duty to do so.  But in my core, (and some days are more of a struggle than others), I feel like I am fighting my inate sense of selfishness.  I like nice things.  who doesnt?  I dont expect any handouts.  I work hard for what I have.  If there is something I want but cant afford, thats on me.  I either need to step my game up, or lower my aspirations.  I also am willing to give my FAIR share in terms of taxes.  Flat tax? Fair.  Obscene 70+% tax rate just cause I make more money than the next guy?  UNFAIR.