speaking of taxes did you hear how Hermain Cain wants everyone to pay a flat tax of 9%? he wants to reduce the top tax rate which is at 35% now down to 9%. that alone would pretty much reduce tax receipts to the federal government to a point where not much would remain.
supply-siders have been saying since 1980 that taxes were too high, it's wasn't true then and it isn't true now. supply-side economics is a myth, there are no mathematical models that show an increase in anything when tax rates are reduced. the US tax code is definitely fubar, but like everything else it benefits those at the top far more generously than those at the bottom. the way the current tax structure is right now 3/5ths of the tax savings go to households with incomes of $165K or more and they are only 1/5 of itemizers.
the best thing to do right now would be to target reform that would mainly benefit the middle class such as turning tax deductions into tax credits. this would also help to offset the imbalance that wage inequality has created since the late 70's. wages for those in the lower middle class are pretty much the same now as they were 35-40 years ago once adjusted for inflation, while those at the top have seen income growth of several hundred percent after adjusting for inflation. I think the middle class has suffered enough over the past 40 years with wages and the trillions of home wealth lost in the late 2000's which can never be made up.
many don't know that effective tax rates change with inflation and have different effects on things like capital, property, bonuses or a new investment depending on the statutory tax rate and depreciation deductions, etc.
I knew when he first opened his mouth what he was (a POS) and he thinks he's slick by trying to sell a flat tax to the people which really only helps capital. In the absence of external effects or other “market failures,” capital is allocated most efficiently when all returns are taxed in at the same rate and when financial choices are not influenced by the tax code.
there are many systemic problems in the economy right now that are coming to a head after decades of doing nothing about them. right now 2 of the biggest problems is extensive lobbying specifically in the finance sector and the continued use of top-down grants which only make things worst.





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