PM Series: Question 13

[RR1997]

I decided to bring this series back. Thank you Hagrid for reminding me about it.

The right to individual autonomy is important, even if it threatens collective security: Usually Agree

The government should penalize organizations that practice outsourcing: Agree (critical issue)

Giving faith-based charities the same government resources as secular organizations is a good idea: Disagree (not critical)

We should increase foreign aid to countries struggling with poverty: Agree (not critical)

We should increase funding for education: Agree (critical issue)

Heterosexual couples should receive higher marital recognition than same-sex couples: Disagree (critical issue)

Overall, free trade hurts more than it helps: Disagree (critical issue)

We should reduce the number of government programs substantially: Disagree (critical issue)

Abortion should be illegal or very heavily restricted: Disagree (critical issue)

The government should fund museums, theaters, and other cultural institutions that are unable to survive independently: Agree (not critical)

The government should subsidize health insurance for those who cannot easily afford it: Agree (critical issue)

The government should work to reduce children's exposure to offensive radio and television content: Disagree (not critical)

It is unfair that wealthier people pay higher tax rates: ?


My opinion:
Agree (crit. issue)

[Goldwater]

Agree.

[Illuminati Blood Drinker]

Disagree (Critical)

[Miles]

Disagree.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Neutral. Critical issue.

I don't think they should be paying any more, but I don't think they should be paying much less either. I see the moral appeal of a flat tax, but I think richer people can afford to pay more and make a larger contribution, and those contributions are sort of necessary for the functioning of government. So I guess I'm pretty split. Really, I just don't like change in the tax code.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Usually disagree.   I can sympathize with arguments that direct taxes on income, wealth, or inheritance are at some level an unjust use of power.  But if you are going to have those types of taxes, it only makes sense to me that those with more ability to pay would pay more.

[H. Ross Peron]

Disagree/Critical

[TDAS04]

Disagree/Critical

[Modernity has failed us]

Disagree/Critical

[AggregateDemand]

Agree.

Average/effective tax rates and marginal tax rates are not the same concept, nor do they have the same impact on economic decision-making. Our indecent obsession with graduated tax rates is causing unnecessary social rancor.

Graduated tax rates stop the middle class from being upwardly mobile, they do not tax the asset-owning wealthy, and they cause legislative inequality between married, single, HoH, separated, etc in the tax code. Graduated rates are literally tearing the country apart.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Agree/Critical.

[ElectionsGuy]

Agree/Critical.

[SWE]

Disagree/Critical

[GaussLaw]

Usually disagree/Not critical

If progressive taxation was good enough for Coolidge, it's good enough for me.

[Mr. Illini]

Disagree/Critical

[Maxwell]

Usually disagree/Not critical

If progressive taxation was good enough for Coolidge, it's good enough for me.

[Deus Naturae]

Neutral/Non-critical. "Unfair" is pretty subjective and my main priority is decreasing the overall tax burden, not making it "fair." Answering "Agree" to this would mean that you would support imposing the income tax on people who currently don't pay it, which I would never support. If a rate reform would decrease the overall burden, I'd support it. If not, I wouldn't.

I think some people who are answering "Agree" to this are equating it with a flat tax, but most flat tax proposals don't have everyone paying the same rate. They just have some people paying nothing and everyone above a certain level paying a single flat rate.

[Rockefeller GOP]

I voted neutral.  I find the demonization of the rich (which I technically am by President Obama's metrics) deplorable, and I think the top tax bracket is too high.  No one in the entire country should have to pay over 40% of their income back in taxes (once you add up ALL of the taxes, not just federal income tax); that's just absurd.  However, I have no problem with progressive taxation within reason.  All tax rates, for every bracket, are too high right now, though.

[Never]

Agree/Critical.

[TNF]

Disagree / Critical

Although I don't think that an income tax is the best way to tax the wealthy (I would prefer stronger capital gains and inheritance taxation), the idea that taxes them higher than the working class is 'unfair' is utterly insane.

[AggregateDemand]

Usually disagree/Not critical

If progressive taxation was good enough for Coolidge, it's good enough for me.

progressive taxation ≠ graduated tax rates

[Del Tachi]

Disagree.  Not critical.

A flat tax is a pretty far-right idea, so I'm going to have to stick with the moderates on this one. 

[windjammer]

Disagree.

And seriously, that's not even true. Mitt Romney has a lower tax rate than the middle income.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Disagree.

And seriously, that's not even true. Mitt Romney has a lower tax rate than the middle income.

1) Nice talking point.

2) Even if that's true, then CLOSE THE LOOPHOLES.

[Maxwell]

The loopholes aren't the only problem with Romney, though those are a big problem in our tax code along with the crazy amount of high income (or all incomes in general) deductions we have. Most of Romney's income was capital gains, and as a result, it was taxed as much.