Just when I think our esteemed White House can’t lower its standards any further, I am proved wrong. I recently received an e-mail with this message linked to a calculator so I can see how many millionaires paid a lower effective tax rate than I did.
What’s your Buffett number?
Frankly, I don’t care. What I do care about are the taxes I paid including several thousand dollars in alternative minimum tax. I also care about politicians who attempt to drive a wedge between Americans for their own gain. Perhaps the White House should add a calculator showing how much money these millionaires gave to charity, an activity far more productive than throwing more money down the bureaucratic abyss.
With the White House, the ARRP and Obama playing the “woe is me, somebody has more than I do and I’m entitled to more” card Americans should be insulted over the low esteem in which they are held by our leaders and policymakers.
“Hey, his piece is bigger than mine!” “I want to be first” “Mommy, that’s not fair.
All these attempts at diversion with no impact on our real problems; do you feel like a puppet? Should I be upset over the millions of Americans who pay a lower effective tax rate than I do?
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
I can’t agree with you on this one. The reason I don’t consider the Obama plea to call for higher taxes on the rich is simply that the Bush tax breaks have now been in effect for 10 years and the evidence is in, they have not spurred anything in the way of greater investment. The rich will not be punished for having wealth they are simply being asked to pay what was deemed fair before Bush decided to ‘spur investment’ by granting the tax cut. Now it is obvious t did not spur investment so let’s end the break and let them pay a bigger peice. I don’t think it will cause greater investment in other countries and if it does add a bit perhaps that is okay to as some countries failure is perceived as dangerous to our nterests as well.
Just my opinion.
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We are on a slippery slope here. Creating the mindset that higher taxes is making things fair or even addressing the deficit is dangerous. The Bush tax cuts benefit more than the wealthy.
But even that is not the key point. Government should operate as efficiently as possible with the minimum taxes necessary (yes, taxes are necessary). Our government has repeatedly demonstrated it cannot do that. Even today as we see the deficit growing new spending continues unabated. Look at the “temporary” estate tax or the AMT both designed for very limited purposes and temporary and now depended on for growing revenue needs. Look at Social Security that successive Congresses have morphed far away from the intended purpose or funding methodology. Consider the latest news about bureaucrats spending with little sense of fiscal discipline.
Look at the way Congress handled all the tax issues at the end of last year. Instead of addressing the issues, its eye was on November. What will we hear this year since last year we were told Americans could not deal with a tax increase in terms of putting the payroll tax back to where it belonged.
Studies show that for every dollar in new revenue Congress finds a way to spend about $1.25. Consider the so-called peace dividend from the pull out from Iraq. One would think that would all be used to trim the deficit. Instead there were numerous proposals to spend the money, money that didn’t exist in the first place.
Most important we are changing the entire structure of our system. We are making more and more people dependent on government programs. We are convincing them it will all work if we just make the rich pay their “fair share.” What happens when the rich taxes go up and Congress keeps spending and initiating new entitlements and liabilities.? Look what happens when there is any proposal to cut spending or this or that ingrained program, you cant hurt this group or that group, they need those benefits Look at AARP ads trying to convince seniors they actually paid for their own benefits? Hey, I’m entitled! Listen to members of Congress tell people there is no problem with Social Security ignoring the fact that someone has to pay the interest on the SS bonds just to pay current benefits.
Finally, beginning next year all Americans earning $200,000 or more will pay higher payroll taxes and a new 3.8% tax on all unearned income, not just dividends and capital gains.
I’m all for being fair but that applies for each of us both in taxes and how we consume that largess from our government and our fellow Americans.
Richard D Quinn Editor
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Quinnscommentary.com
Health Insurance Illuminated http://blog.horizonblue.com/
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