T a x e s and d e a th

[MadelynIris]

Hmmm.... Do your duty, pay your taxes. Or not?

I expected a personal letter of thank you on behalf of our nation last year, but instead got a bill for even more!

35% -- add state taxes, local, and sales tax and more than 50% of my income is gone.

Should we lower, hike, or leave the same?

 

[BVS]

Should we lower, hike, or leave the same?

We should learn how to better spend them...

 

[sulawesigirl4]

It occurs to me as I sit in this country, one of the (if not THE) wealthiest on the planet, that my taxes pay for a lot of the things that we living in the "developed" world take for granted. I went without a lot of those things when living in Mali. Just off the top of my head....

Roads.
Drinking water.
Food that is relatively safe and clean.
Medicine that has passed some sort of safety test and is not out of date.
Infrastructure that facilitates the transport of goods so that they're not obscenely expensive. (did you know that Americans pay less of a proportion of their income towards their food needs than most other people?)
A police force and a functioning legal system that isn't solely for the rich who can afford the bribes needed.
Access to health care for poor and old people (although one could argue that we certainly don't do enough there).
Inspection systems to make sure that houses don't fall down around your ears; laugh if you want, it happened when I was in Mali and people died as a result.
Education.

Just a few of the things that people who don't pay taxes (lucky them!) never have to worry about having.

Edited to add: oh, forgot to mention, they definitely are more familiar with death than most of you will ever be (thank god). when you have unsafe roads, people die constantly in preventable accidents. no access to basic medicine, children die of minor illness. same with the water situation. On down the list. So yeah, no taxes may be a great thing, but I dunno if I'd trade.

 

[MadelynIris]

Right on Sula! It is remarkable what we've been able to collectively accomplish for the 'common good'.

I single-handedly paid for a road by-pass and a new bridge last year. Still no letter.

 

[martha]

my taxes pay for a lot of the things that we living in the "developed" world take for granted.

This is the attitude I take every year. This year, I decided that my taxes were paying for road improvements in national parks. I was pleased to see my tax dollars at work when I was driving through Wupatki National Monument a few weeks ago.

 

[phillyfan26]

I decided that my taxes paid for the War on Iraq cause I like to be right about where my taxes are going.

 

[indra]

I try to earn as little as possible to keep my taxes down. I'm doing a fine job of earning nearly nothing.

 

[A_Wanderer]

I decided that my taxes paid for the War on Iraq cause I like to be right about where my taxes are going.

That's unfair, those taxes would be maintaining the military industrial complex anyway.

 

[Ormus]

35% -- add state taxes, local, and sales tax and more than 50% of my income is gone.

Should we lower, hike, or leave the same?

So let me get this straight.

If you're in the 35% tax bracket--the highest tax bracket, mind you--your taxable income is at least $336,550 a year (or if you're "married filing separately," $168,275)...

...and I'm supposed to feel bad for you how?

Not trying to be callous or anything, but if given a choice, would you rather be in the 35% tax bracket making $336,550 a year or the 10% tax bracket making $15,100 a year? I think most people would rather be making the kind of income that warrants a 35% tax rate. I certainly would!

 

[Liesje]

I don't mind paying taxes all that much, and hey I get like NOTHING back b/c my dad claims me as a dependent (I'm not) so he can get more money back. He makes more than I do, but has more bills and a mortgage so I feel bad. When I see the taxes taken from my paycheck, I operate under the assumption that I'm getting nothing back, so even a few hundred is a treat. Last year I was audited at age 21, and this year I'm having to owe the city. Oh well, such is life. It's a pain, but like sula said, when I was in Africa I came across things I'd never even thought about that I was definitely taking for granted.

I think we have every right to complain about where taxes are going, but not taxes in general. I'm not saying this about people hear, but at home many friends are always complaining about taxes, but they never even vote on the local issues like what things our taxes are paying for (a new school? a better zoo? a bigger library?). They vote for president and such, but the Federal government is only one of three entities taxing us.

 

[Irvine511]

i fully enjoyed my ride to work today (and every day) on public transportation. sure, i purchase tickets, but that only accounts for a certain percentage of the cost, the rest is picked up for by taxes. we can't have our cake and eat it, too. it sucks, but the alternative is worse.