Obama Must Spread Tax Burden to Help Economy and Democracy

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Obama is increasing the tax load in an unfair and biased manner. Let us not forget his plans for higher taxes on tax retirement plans and those on fixed incomes.
How many American families now are paying more than 50% in Federal, State, with local taxes along with the hidden fees and such that are all but a tax but in name?
How can anyone understand the 60,000 pages of tax laws that are growing under President Obama's new taxes?
Why is there no mention of cutting the waste and spending in Government. We have to live within limits or pay the cost. When the Government spends billions for prok and earmarks - we pay the cost. Raising taxes to pay for this B.S. is wrong.
The national debt load under the 100 days of Obama has trippled in comparison to what Bush did in 8 years. Our prosperity will be bearing these burdensom taxes for generations. Is that fair to them?
Check the attitude and get real about taxes.

John R. Carpenter of CA 7:52PM April 24, 2009

the only fair way to tax income is to have everyone pay the same percentage of their income in taxes. eliminate all regressive taxes. elimimnate all tax loopholes. the only tax a individual will pay will be the same percentage as everyone else. you waste your time priding yourself on the fact that you paid taxes on a small income, ok. the problem isn't people with low incomes paying their fair share, they already do. the big earners are the ones who skate on their responsibilty.

matthew mccorry of MI 1:38PM April 23, 2009

Easy way to make the tax burden fair:
1. Establish a realistic poverty line. We'd need to set up several by state or zip code to accomodate different costs of living.
2. Tax everything above the poverty line.
That's it. Whatever the income tax percentage is, we all pay the same on income above the basic poverty minimum.
We should tax wages, salaries, bonuses, capital gains earnings, inheritance income, and everything else. Social Security gets taxed the same for everyone, too. No cutoff for rich people.
No deductions for special purposes. If we want to encourage specific behavior, like attending college, the government should write a check rather than give a tuition tax credit. Politicians like to pretend that tax deductions don't have financial ramifications for the treasury. They do, and writing checks would encourage accountability while accomplishing the exact same end.
When politicians drag out the big stack of paper designed to represent the burdensome tax code, keep in mind that the vast majority of us are only interested in a very small portion of the stack. The biggest portion of that stack is there to provide tax shelters for the wealthy. The last thing the very rich want is a simple, fair tax code. I just laid out the simplest, fairest code you can imagine, and you'd have an awfully hard time finding a millionaire to agree to it.

jimatmadison of WI 11:42PM April 22, 2009

While the statistics are right the tone is the same as all those that are ramping up the class warfare rhetoric. The people who get a refund don't have an "entitlement issue." The people who receive pell grants don't have an "entitlement issue." For most of those who receive a tax return, or are receiving pell grants, their financial situation is already tenable. These people are not generally coming home to big homes, nice cars, or what your article appears to be implying on a certain level, deciding consciously not to pursue making more money because their taxes will be raised.
Many members of my family, and many of my friends family members are small business owners and let me tell you. Their is no harder working person than a small business owner. Other of my friends, including myself while attending school, are working back breaking jobs that require long hours and in this economy that was created by the republican party, (I know what all you republicans are thinking but your guys controlled everything for six straight years and then could block and veto anything you wanted for the next two so quit whining and take some responsibility, not all of it, but at least own up to some of it already.)
Also those that make a lot of money seem to think that those of us who are middle class, or decide to chose careers that don't involve offices, or corporate ladders, or the promise of a fat salary, are somehow not living up to their end of the bargain in this country. What about our teachers that teach in impoverished school districts? O'wait. Not in your neighborhood or at your income level and they shouldn't get a tax break or help with student loans just because they're dedicating their lives to helping poor youths. What about the carpenters who build the homes you live in, what about your gardeners, what about the social workers, the public defenders, trash men, city waste workers, mechanics, plumbers: all these people and a lot more chose professions that don't guarantee high paying salaries but without them neither the rich, or any else for that matter, could the lives that we live.
The truth is that the wealthy due owe more than those that are not wealthy. 1.) Not all but many are born into it. I've always had this theory about taxing the wealthy, if you come from a family living below the median line for income in this country and still make it rich, your taxes are lower than you neighbor who was born with a silver spoon in his/her mouth. For those of you that were born into quit whining. You have no idea what's it's like to come from where the rest of come from so stop it. You're just hurting your cause. 2.) The wealthy may chose careers that guarantee large amounts of wealth but without those that have chosen careers that pay less but give more back to the community through working with the underprivileged or by providing municipal services your wealth wouldn't add up to much. So yes the rich should have to pay more.

Ryan of MI 7:21PM April 22, 2009

if the half of the country that elects these "redistributive" politicians ever had to put a chip in the game, the constituents that elect them would become a lot more interested (and judicious) in how that money was used. an undesireable state-of-affairs indeed.
it is relatively irrelevant what the other half of the voters think of you, as long as you can give 51% of the people (even the impression that they're getting) something-for-nothing you've got a job for life.

chronic.individuality of SC 5:37PM April 22, 2009

We can ponder all of this nonsense we want but it doesn't matter to the almighty leader. It's all about him, he feels compfy for the next 3 1/2 years, that's all he wants--destroy what he can and go away after he's completed his damage.
Barack 'Hussein' has no regards for our country, his faithfulness lys elsewhere (and we all know where that is after his displays around the globe). When the first term is over, he'll sit back and relax- looking at all of the destruction he has accomplished. Maybe at that point he'll leave this country with his family before there's payback and he'll go to his homeland.
Let's just hope his "buddies" don't attack us in the meantime as he has all but given us to them on a silver platter. God help us. He has stripped us of our defenses, set us up around the globe and it is his intention to see us go down in every aspect---money,freedom,choices, peace, happiness, success,more, more, but most important- SAFETY.
Some day the dems will see this before he leads us all to the unthinkable (we can pray)

Amy of NV 3:26PM April 22, 2009

President Obama believes that the "non-rich" deserve the benefits of those that worked hard and played by the rules. He believes that this will provide them a better life and make America a better country. What he fails to realize is the point you made about paying for your college education. When it was your money you were more responsible and did not waste time or money and you also didn't expect the best, like new books. The problem with handouts is there is no responsibility connected to them, so what if you waste it, it was free.
Dennis Miller made a statement the other day that I found all so true, "President Bush wanted everyone to be rich, and President Obama wants everyone to be poor or more equal". There are hundreds of examples throughout history that shows that President Obama's view does not work. Even the Bible proclaims that it is better to teach a man to fish instead of giving him the fish he needs. One is a long term success and the other is a short term gain.

Larry of CA 2:56PM April 22, 2009