What should be the highest marginal federal tax rate?

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60%

That's right.. 60%.  My welfare needs aren't cheap.  So pay up.

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50%. I voted for 50-55%. Removing the highest tax brackets has not made any substantial difference in the economy in the past twenty years or so.

And you could further argue that by taking that money and spending it on programs that benefit us all like renewing and modernizing infrastructure and on creating smaller class sizes... the economy would do better.

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I'd say:

Under the poverty line (which is tied to inflation) 0%

Poverty line to $25,000/year 10%
25,000-$40,000/year 15%
$40,000-70,000/year 20%
$70,000-90,000/year 25%
$90,000-150,000/year 30%
150,000-250,000/year 40%
250,000-500,000/year 50%
500,000-1,000,000/year 60%
1,000,000+ 65%

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I agree with this.  Where I work, a book store, the pay is crappy and it's a lot of work (though not necessarily bad work.. it's enjoyable).. but they really work you hard for what they pay you.

You know why they can do it?  Because everybody wants to work in a book store.  I take in about 3 applications a day and I tell every one of them I won't be hiring until fall.

But I wouldn't say the owners of the store are really keeping a majority of our work.  Profit margins are pretty slim in the book business.  First, 60% of that book goes to the publisher... so you have to keep the lights on, the building cool and comfortable, and pay the employees off that 40%.

And we have to compete with stores like Wal-Mart that can buy 100,000 copies of a book at a much higher discount and then sell them for "30%" off the cover price.. because they have all sorts of other stuff they can mark up higher.. so the profit off the books is really just marginal.. but it's enough to put guys like us out of business.

Oh well.. they pay 70% of the premium on my health insurance and they have a good retirement plan and a profit sharing program.. not bad for a family owned book store chain.

Oh.. and as far as retail goes.. book store customers are by far the best.