Does Kerry's pledge to cancel the tax cuts for those making over 200 grand

[NNN0LHI]

...turn this election into a class war? What are we talking about here maybe perhaps 5 percent of the population in this income bracket? I have a feeling most of that 5 percent do not vote Dem either. I may be wrong? I know damn well it won't effect me. Not even close. Have any other candidates during any other elections used this type of platform before and won an election? Is this a winner? A loser? What? And why?

Don

[spooky3]

1. Edwards calls for the same thing.

Kennedy also campaigned on a platform that advocated higher taxes on the well-to-do, but I'll leave it to the better informed to respond more completely.

Of course, we remember that Bush Sr. claimed there would be "read my lips--no new taxes" but then had to go back on his pledge.

[curse10]

2. It's a winner for me

And maybe it's high time we have a class war...

[aldian159]

4. Yeah!

Go class war! I'm writing a very bad novel right now about a group of guerrilla fighters for the "have nots" leading a huge revolt that eventually leads to a sort of post-apocalyptic society. I like post-apocalyptic societies. My favorite game is fallout2 and my favorite action movie is Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Go class war!

[NNN0LHI]

6. Say what? We are talking about fucking voting here. Not going guerrilla nt

[curse10]

10. Umm, not a literal war, man

class is an issue, regardless of what the repubs would like us to think. It gets brushed under the table a lot, and I think it needs to be talked about. The poor in this country are treated like shit and don't have much political power.

If the "have nots" voted in a block the dems would crush the repubs in every election.

[boobooday]

3. It's a winner for me

It is going to appeal to the majority, that's for sure. Most of us don't make that much.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[KittyWampus]

5. Nah, It's The PATRIOTIC Thing To Do! As Clark Said

and it's also the thing a spiritually aware person would do as well.

:)

[olacan]

9. Has

anyone here considered a flat tax? Say 10% on everything you earn, if you are provide a car as part of your employment it get taxed, a home the same thing. The one exception would be charity contributions which would be deductible.

[NNN0LHI]

11. Yea, Steven Forbes. The idea sucks

Say some guy pays a grand out of ten grand for taxes and is left 9 grand to live on. The other guy pays 20 grand out of 200 thousand and is left with 180 to live on. Now which one will have the harder time trying to keep a roof over his families head? A much harder time of it?

Don

[olacan]

16. Ok,

Then using your example how much should the guy making 10 grand pay in income tax?

[NNN0LHI]

17. He should pay as much as a guy making 10 grand can afford to pay

And not a penny less. I can't put a dollar figure on it because I don't know the guys deductions and all that other stuff. Same thing for the guy making 200 grand.

Don

[MurikanDemocrat]

7. It's a winner, definitely

Repubs are the ones who turn it into a class war. The truth is Bush tax cuts shifted the tax burden onto the middle class.

The majority of Americans were opposed to the tax cuts in the first place and would support canceling the cuts for the rich.

[flpoljunkie]

8. Some tax facts...

What percentage of taxes are paid by the wealthiest 5% of Americans?

The wealthiest 5 percent have 59% of the wealth and pay 38.4 percent of federal taxes. The wealthiest 1 percent have over 38 percent of the wealth and pay 24.8 percent of federal taxes. These households have an average wealth of $10.2 million and pay only 3.5 percent of their wealth in taxes. By way of comparison, the bottom 40 percent of taxpayers have an average net wealth of $1,100 and pay 163 percent of their net wealth in taxes.

If all taxpayers paid the same 10.5 percent of their wealth in taxes as median income families pay, the taxes of the lowest 40 percent would be cut by 94 percent while the taxes of the wealthiest would triple.

Source: Congressional Budget Office and United for a Fair Economy

The rate of taxation for the top income tax bracket decreased dramatically during the last 40 years. It fell from 91% in 1963 to 35% in 2003. 
  
How does the change in tax burdens on the top 1% compare to the change for middle income families?

The middle 20% of Americans are paying more taxes today than in 1977, while the top 1% are paying much less.

http://www.osjspm.org/101_taxes.htm
____________________

Know how the Rethugs always like to talk about how John Kennedy lowered taxes-- he lowered the top bracket of 91% to 70%--half of what it is today!

[woofless]

12. We are already in a class war

and we are the ones losing.

[tobius]

13. A class war like you suggest would appeal to some

but there are large groups of people, including immigrants, that hope someday to be making that much.

That is one of the reasons why most politicians refer to "the rich" or the "middle class", most people including families with incomes over 200k don't see themselves as "rich ', they identify with "middle class".

[NNN0LHI]

14. You can include me in those who wish to be making that amount someday

But if that day ever comes I don't expect to be complaining about paying my fair share of taxes and want to try and shift that burden on to some guy who is making minimum wage either.

And from my perspective 200 grand a year is rich. Really. Maybe not filthy rich? But definitely rich in my book. This is about what your average doctor or lawyers wages would be my guess? I may be off here, but I don't think by too much?

So we are talking perception here. Some will say 200 thou a year ain't much. Others will say that is a pretty damn good wage. You can include me in the second group.

Don

[tobius]

15. I agree. My point is that it is perception that counts

And in general people like to see higher taxes paid by the people most able to pay.

I am not repeating anything new here, Michael Moore makes the same point about Americans seeing themselves financially successful some day.

Rich vs. "the rich", nobody wants to be be "the rich" as it is portrayed in class warfare rhetoric, but they do aspire to "be" rich. Therein lies the danger and the balancing act.

Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.
Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)