Howard Dean: 'Everybody Needs to Pay More Taxes, Not Just the Rich'

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I think the minimum wage etc, needs to rise to get people to point where they're earning enough to pay taxes, and companies that deliberately cut hours to get around rules regarding sick leave, holiday pay etc should be forced to pay a higher rate of tax on any profits they make.

Minimum wage should be $1 million per hour. Problem solved.

Incidentally, a family of 4 making $65,000 per year, about 7 times minimum wage, would NOT pay taxes (given reasonable and common deductions and credits) under our current system and could even be eligible for public aid in some states.

[Póg mo 1,749]

Minimum wage should be $1 million per hour. Problem solved.

Now you're just being silly. What is so bad about paying people enough to actually live on and oh, afford at least basic health care, if and when they need it? Y

Incidentally, a family of 4 making $65,000 per year, about 7 times minimum wage, would NOT pay taxes (given reasonable and common deductions and credits) under our current system and could even be eligible for public aid in some states.

Right, so this family of four doesn't pay any kind of sales tax? Health insurance is a form of taxation in my book and in the US it's nearly twice as expensive compared with other countries. If your employer is providing it, then chances are he receives tax deductions for providing it, now seeing as most lower paid jobs don't offer health insurance, any tax payroll taxes collected, yes another tax a family of four shall indirectly be paying, will be used to help subsidize the health care costs of those who are making a lot more than they are.

To attend school in the US, you'll need lots of money or somebody willing to foot the bill for your education. Most people take out a government backed student loan, the loan of course isn't free money, it must be repaid with interest, which is quite a bit above the rate of inflation. In order to afford these loan repayments, graduates have to demand higher salaries, which in turn are passed along to the consumer. Therefore I view student loans as yet another tax. The kids from wealthier families of course benefit because they get to enjoy more of their salaries i.e. no interest on student loans to repay.

Edited December 9, 2012 by InKorea

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Now you're just being silly. What is so bad about paying people enough to actually live on and oh, afford at least basic health care, if and when they need it? Y

Right, so this family of four doesn't pay any kind of sales tax? Health insurance is a form of taxation in my book and in the US it's nearly twice as expensive compared with other countries. If your employer is providing it, then chances are he receives tax deductions for providing it, now seeing as most lower paid jobs don't offer health insurance, any tax payroll taxes collected, yes another tax a family of four shall indirectly be paying, will be used to help subsidize the health care costs of those who are making a lot more than they are.

To attend school in the US, you'll need lots of money or somebody willing to foot the bill for your education. Most people take out a government backed student loan, the loan of course isn't free money, it must be repaid with interest, which is quite a bit above the rate of inflation. In order to afford these loan repayments, graduates have to demand higher salaries, which in turn are passed along to the consumer. Therefore I view student loans as yet another tax. The kids from wealthier families of course benefit because they get to enjoy more of their salaries i.e. no interest on student loans to repay.

Howard Dean was talking about income tax. Not sales tax. Not payroll tax, not Social Security tax. You can view whatever you want as income tax, it does not make it so.

47% of Americans pay NO income tax. That cannot continue, it is not sustainable for half the people not to pay.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Now you're just being silly. What is so bad about paying people enough to actually live on and oh, afford at least basic health care, if and when they need it? Y

Right, so this family of four doesn't pay any kind of sales tax? Health insurance is a form of taxation in my book and in the US it's nearly twice as expensive compared with other countries. If your employer is providing it, then chances are he receives tax deductions for providing it, now seeing as most lower paid jobs don't offer health insurance, any tax payroll taxes collected, yes another tax a family of four shall indirectly be paying, will be used to help subsidize the health care costs of those who are making a lot more than they are.

To attend school in the US, you'll need lots of money or somebody willing to foot the bill for your education. Most people take out a government backed student loan, the loan of course isn't free money, it must be repaid with interest, which is quite a bit above the rate of inflation. In order to afford these loan repayments, graduates have to demand higher salaries, which in turn are passed along to the consumer. Therefore I view student loans as yet another tax. The kids from wealthier families of course benefit because they get to enjoy more of their salaries i.e. no interest on student loans to repay.

We are not a wealthy family and have no student loans despite having multiple masters degrees from top universities. You simply make no sense and banter in generalities with no relevence to the topic. How on earth do student loans and education have anything to do with income tax?