Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

How do you know what I am or am not interested in? I am very interested in these programs because I have been paying into them since I was 15 years old.

You are certainly interested in the Federal Income Tax enough to make quite a few posts concerning it. I don't notice you displaying the same amount of concern over FICA. Income Tax rates are what seems to tie your knickers into a knot.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Ok, define that. What is the ceiling income that places one in this group of cats? Where does it start, where does it end?

According to the most recent edition of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats which reflects the latest statistics from the 2010 census:

A Pleasingly Plump Cat has an income well over the amount where Cats are required to start paying the Federal Income Tax. They often prefer imported catnip and may own a boat or a yacht. The Pleasingly Plump Cat can be differentiated from the Fat Cat because Fat Cats, unlike Pleasingly Plump ones, own Leer Jets and tend to stash their financial holdings in offshore accounts in places like the Caymen Islands. The Pleasingly Plump Cat does not like to be waxed.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

What investments do I have and where are they invested?

That is absolutely none of my business. However, I think we can safely assume that you don't keep your savings in a sock under your matress.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Why would a pinch at one level be any different from a pinch at another level when the bite becomes bigger and bigger as income increases, thereby placing the majority of all income tax burden on a small group (minority) and little to none on another (majority) group? That is wealth redistribution and I don't support it.

First of all, let us keep in mind that the percentage of those who do NOT pay income tax is 47%. So 53% of Americans do pay the tax. Plus, this situation is a TEMPORARY one brought about by the recession and the measures enacted to stimulate economic recovery. In a more typical year, 35 percent to 40 percent of households do not pay federal income tax. And as I and others have already reminded you, income tax is simply one of a number of taxes that people pay. It is disingenuous to state that of all taxes, only the federal income tax matters.

86% percent of working households pay more in payroll taxes than in federal income tax. In fact, low- and moderate-income people pay a much larger share of their incomes in federal payroll taxes than high-income people do: taxpayers in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale paid an average of 8.8 percent of their incomes in payroll taxes in 2007, compared to just 1.6 percent for taxpayers in the top 1 percent of the income distribution. I am including a fun chart for you to look at.

The above info comes from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3505

Oh, and 20% of all taxes go to the military. So you are transferring a portion of your wealth (if you want to look at it that way, to the men and women who serve our country, giving their lives at the whim of some politician. Supporting our troops seems like the very least we can do, and I am surprised that you make no mention of this when discussing where OUR tax dollars go.

I was going to address the rest of your post, but I’m at work and lots of tourists are coming in wanting rooms, so I need to get off the computer.