taxes

Dark Tofu · 10-19-2005, 06:03 PM

correct me if i'm wrong but in socialism everyone gets paid the same amount and IMO the government of socialism is muy malo.

**Ridley's Own** · 10-20-2005, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Tofu

correct me if i'm wrong but in socialism everyone gets paid the same amount and IMO the government of socialism is muy malo.

No. Socialism is where the state owns the means of production. If the U.S. were socialist, General Electric will still make lightbulbs and do all the things they still do, except GE would be owned by the government. The idea is that if the means of creation of capital is in the hands of the people (via the democratic process), then there's less of a chance the capitalists will oppress the proletariat.

I don't know anyone who advocates paying everyone, regardless of ability or need, the exact same wage.

TheProdigalModern · 10-20-2005, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ridley's Own

I don't know anyone who advocates paying everyone, regardless of ability or need, the exact same wage.

Ron Sider does, at least sort of. If I understood him correctly, he calls for a fairly high minimum wage and a fairly low maximum take-home, with what isn't taken home being given to government programs.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-20-2005, 12:22 PM

Id be for a national sales tax and abolition of income. Big spenders would be penalized. Buying a yacht would generate a heck of a lot of tax revenue, whereas my groceries and gas would generate a comparitively small amount. It would hit people equally, but based upon their expenditures.

JerryLove · 10-20-2005, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Id be for a national sales tax and abolition of income. Big spenders would be penalized. Buying a yacht would generate a heck of a lot of tax revenue, whereas my groceries and gas would generate a comparitively small amount. It would hit people equally, but based upon their expenditures.

I don't know about you; but I spend a lot more on groceries than I do on yahts.

A flat sales tax disproportionately affects the poor; as they have very little in the way of discretionary spending... of course, most sales taxes exempt groceries.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-20-2005, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryLove

I don't know about you; but I spend a lot more on groceries than I do on yahts.

A flat sales tax disproportionately affects the poor; as they have very little in the way of discretionary spending... of course, most sales taxes exempt groceries.

as do I, say make groceries exempt and the rest is based on lifestyle. Taxes of the opulent would be opulent, whereas the frugal would pay a relatively low tax.

dcunning30 · 10-20-2005, 01:34 PM

I like the flat tax, but I don't expect it to ever happen. There are interests who want the tax code to be complex and subject to political forces.

To me, a flat tax would be apolitical.

**adamwagg** · 10-20-2005, 04:26 PM

We have the GST (flat sales tax of 10% on everything bought though only at the consumer end - with about the only exemption un prepared food) over here now for the last about 5 years.

It doesnt seem to have made much difference to anything really, plus we have had a number of income tax drops.

JerryLove · 10-21-2005, 06:08 AM

The actual sales-tax numbers are going to be pretty high.

I'm really curious what that would do to the housing market (or will those be exempt too?) I can't imagine what tacking 30%+ to the cost of a house as a non-recoverable tax will do.

Since currenly more than 25% of my income goes straight to income tax; and I have a 7% sales tax, and I have property taxes that are 10% of my income; I'm at a 42% sales tax thusfar minimally.