10-20-2020, 06:27 PM
I'm genuinely confused, here. It seriously seems like there is an argument for a plutocracy being made if we have a progressive tax structure.
One of the things not being said, here, is that an argument for a progressive tax structure is that those in higher income brackets often receive more in public benefits. I know, everyone likes to think of the "welfare queen" image, but there are studies that support the idea that higher earners tend to receive more in benefits from the government because of certain incentives, utilization of services, etc. Remember the "you didn't build that" comment that everyone took out of context? That was about this sort of thing. High earners often earn their wage with the help of public services, and taxes pay for that.
Anyway, we live in a democratic society, which means how much you pay in taxes is not supposed to impact your voice in government. I understand that our Gini coefficient is more like countries that are pay-to-play than it is like other western democracies, but that doesn't mean we should try to slip further in that direction.
One of the things not being said, here, is that an argument for a progressive tax structure is that those in higher income brackets often receive more in public benefits. I know, everyone likes to think of the "welfare queen" image, but there are studies that support the idea that higher earners tend to receive more in benefits from the government because of certain incentives, utilization of services, etc. Remember the "you didn't build that" comment that everyone took out of context? That was about this sort of thing. High earners often earn their wage with the help of public services, and taxes pay for that.
Anyway, we live in a democratic society, which means how much you pay in taxes is not supposed to impact your voice in government. I understand that our Gini coefficient is more like countries that are pay-to-play than it is like other western democracies, but that doesn't mean we should try to slip further in that direction.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
