Angry protesters from New York to Alaska assail Trump and Musk in ‘Hands Off!’ rallies.

@samueltyler2 Thats not true. Not the whole story and you know it





Tell the truth. Tell the whole story.

Our coming debt servicing costs require drastic action NOW .. just like a mismanaged company who has to do so to avoid insolvency.

Wake up to reality.

@BrandNewMan and which country in the world emerged from COVID in the best economical shape? Which administration put more money into infrastructure? Yes, we need to become more fiscally responsible, but not by destroying the government, not by again rewarding the wealthy and putting the biggest tax burden in terms of spendable income, on the lower and middle classes.

The deficit/surplus is complicated:

https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-federal-governments-budget-deficit-or-surplus/country/united-states/

@samueltyler2 Excuse me, but the biggest tax burden is NOT on the lower and middle classes. That's an ignorant LIE.

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2018/10/15/the-top-1409-individual-taxpayers-pay-more-than-the-bottom-70-of-america-combined/

We’re not talking all that many people. We’re not talking about millions of people here. In other words… And the top 50% of all taxpayers paid 97% of total individual income tax. So, in other words, the bottom 50% are paying 3%. There isn’t much more you can do to cut their taxes, and yet how often do you hear both parties’ politicians running around, “And we’re gonna middle-class tax cut! The middle class is paying the burden! It’s too bad, but we gotta cut middle…” There isn’t much to cut anymore, when it comes to income taxes.

https://taxfoundation.org/blog/super-rich-pay-effective-tax-rates/

A common refrain from many progressive lawmakers is that the rich don’t pay their fair share of taxes. “Fair share” is, of course, subjective. But a new Treasury study provides data showing that the rich not only pay more than the middle class, they pay more than one-third of their annual income in federal taxes and more than 45 percent when state and local taxes are included.

Indeed, the total tax
burden on the super-wealthy, especially those with large stakes in global businesses, is upwards of 60 percent of their annual income because of the taxes they pay abroad.
Segmenting Taxpayers by Wealth, Not Income

The study classifies taxpayers according to an estimate of their wealth rather than their income, with the intention of showing that the rich pay very little in taxes (individual income, estate, and corporate taxes) relative to their wealth. However, the data shows that the rich are not undertaxed relative to their annual income as many claim.

As Table 1 details, in 2019, there were 183 million tax units, which includes those with a tax liability and those with no liability (the so-called nonpayers) as well as non-filers. The average tax unit had adjusted gross income
(AGI) of roughly $65,000 and about $503,500 in wealth from all sources.

@Reason10 You do not understand the word BURDEN, and saying my comment is an "ignorant lie" places you in the category that puts you in the arrogant misinformed conservatives. You have to look at what amount of income is required for basic costs and the impact of taxes on those in the lower income brackets. Value added taxes, sales taxes all take a proportional larger bite out of that, then when you add other taxes, the lower income people are affected far more than the wealthy. By adding corporate taxes to those paid by the wealthy you misunderstand the role of corporate status. This drawing income from corporations have far more ways to "hide" income and avoid paying personal taxes on it, the same goes for foreign taxes, which tends to lower the taxes they pay in the US.

You might be interested in this report as well:

https://itep.org/who-pays-taxes-in-america-in-2024/ Taxes in the US are reportedly progressive, but the base still affects the lower earners more than those in the upper group.

@samueltyler2 The lowest earners actually don't pay any federal taxes and get more back than they put in.


The next tier barely paus any .. it IS progressive. What its not is fucking socialism, which is what it appears it would take to satify your perception of how it "should" be.

Forever looking to take ever more from those who are successful and give to those who largely don't try to be seems to be your goal.

@BrandNewMan why is social security payments capped? That way the big wage earners pay a lower portion of their income in taxes, why are the rich given advantage when they invest in stock,etc., able to pay only on capital gains and atba lower rate.

Changing the subject just a little, if you feel that those who get back more than they give are taking unfair advantage, how about all the states that get more federal funds back than others?

@samueltyler2 I never said I object to lowest tier of people getting back more than they pay in, or lower income paying a lower rate vs higher earners. I just pointed it out as the truth that fed tax IS progressive. I simply believe that the majority should pay in some and the upper tiers should not carry all the burden.

I'm only top 5th/6th percentile for income but am basically blocked from any deduction I should get because of income phase outs beyond home interest and about 55-60% of my total state/ local/ property tax bills. No pretax IRA, can't contribute to a Roth, no deduction for one cent of fully funding college even w two in at once. I just want the money spent well .. which there is ample evidence is often not the case and for everybody to shoulder some responsibility for themselves. Too many able to work don't and collect public aide their whole life. I shoulder too much to accept that.

I'd be ok paying soc security on all my income .. be ok with a much higher cut off .. but there ought to be some return in a couple slightly higher tiers and better overall benefits. Improving how the money is managed, reducing fraud and keeping illegals off our social programs are key to that.

States that get back more in federal support are like the lower tier of the population. There is no full aid life for a state the way there is that component for individuals. Every state absolutely does pay in. How do you justify a free ride for individuals and not see the need to share among states as the same thing?

@BrandNewMan you are mistaken about my views. I believe the higher income people should pay much more than they now do. Same with the states. I don't see any free ride being justified. I also believe that every citizen should be required to do some "pay back" for the freedoms they enjoy, military or civilian public service