I worked hard and educated myself. Worked my way up through several different careers to where I am now. Self employed with a six figure income. But what bugs me is that I'm in the 33% tax bracket. Why should people who aren't as smart or didn't work as hard not have to pay as high of a percentage of their taxes than me? I know this lady who works in a grocery store and she's only in the 15% tax bracket. That's unfair!!!

Am I wrong?

To whom much is given...

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Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.
Sigmund Freud

No one gave me anything. I worked for and earned everything I have. It's those people only paying 15% that are getting a gift. I'm a single guy living in an apartment without a car. How is it that I'm responsible for so much more in taxes than, say, a married mother who drives to work and whose kids are getting a free, public education? How is that fair? They should have to pay at least as much as me, no...more, as they are using more services.

Yes.

Let me guess...you were a Democrat before you started making that 6 figure income? Now your a fiscal Republican?

This is a difficult issue. Each year my husband and I get a smaller refund and this past year we had to pay quite a bit. Yeah, it stinks, but speaks to continued success. I'm rare in that I don't mind paying higher taxes if they go to better schools and, yes, better services for the poor and disabled. Am I enjoying financing a bogus war? Uh, yeah.

I'm not sure how I feel about higher income earners being taxed at a higher percent, but think it's unfair to link income to responsibility, or to assume that people who make less than you are using more tax-funded services.

But I'm taxed in the 98th percentile. There's no way I use more services than 98% of the population. I see these lower class people going to olive garden, or corner bars and spending money on that stuff. Why should I have to pay more so that they can go out to eat? They should have to pay just as much as me. It's not my fault they weren't as smart or didn't work as hard.

And not to mention the EXTRA tax break they get for having kids!! Why should they get rewarded for having more kids? I chose to be responsible and not have kids. Why should they get more money back? If they can't afford the kid without it, they shouldn't have one!

Earlier today I went to the grocery store. One of the workers was getting off her shift. Now I know she doesn't pay as much tax as me. And there she was, wearing LEVI jeans and buying non-generic cereal and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. What extravagance!!!

Where do these people get off? They're getting these massive tax breaks just because they make less money and have kids. It's ridiculous. Cut off their hand outs and tax them the same as me!

Income tax is progressive, so you're paying a greater share of income than the "deadbeat" making $25,000/year, whom we'll call Debbie.

You're both paying a flat state tax and a flat city tax. Even tax burden.

However, you're only paying FICA on the first $95k of your income, while Deadbeat Debbie is paying it on her whole salary. Bigger burden for her.

Debbie drives, so she's paying gas taxes. You both pay sales tax, which is regressive (since Deadbeat Debbie is paying a greater share of her income than you are in sales tax). Bigger burden for her.

(We'll leave out the low tax on capital gains and all the tax shelters available to investors, since i don't know your investing habits.)

On balance, i'd say Debbie is pulling her weight.

they couldn;t pay as much as you. now, if you are arguing for a flat tax (which isn't a bad idea) you'd still pay a lot more than them. and spending money on those things simply means they will never be as wealthy as you, but so what? good luck fighting the kids thing.
Homer: (in response to making parents pay for their children's education) "You can't change the rules in the middle of the game! We never would have had these kids if we thought we had to pay for them!"
-episode where wealthy feminist tries to push government for adults (perhaps winston can help out here)

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"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Since you're smart and buy all your groceries at the store, you're paying fewer taxes (no sales tax on food) than those crazy deadbeats who squander their money on prepared food (taxed).

We need to replace the population, either by birth or by immigration. If the government didn't encourage child-raising, fewer people would have kids. Then there wouldn't be enough people paying into Social Security to support your retirement. There wouldn't be enough kids to join the military and protect your withered retired ass from a Canadian invasion in 2056.