[geeks] Taxes

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Phil Stracchino <alaric at metrocast.net>
" 
" Sandwich Maker wrote:
" > " From: Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at verizon.net>
" > " I saw an interesting report last night that analyzed actual tax
" > " reciepts as a percentage of domestic earnings, and oddly, no matter
" > " what the tax rates were (91% down to the current "Bush Adjusted" tax
" > " rates that "benefit the wealthy"), the gov't took in about 19.5% in
" > " tax revenue. When the tax rate is higher, people find ways to reduce
" > " their tax liability, when it drops, there is less incentive to do so...
" > 
" > yeah, but shifting that burden from folks who can't afford to pay to
" > folks who just don't want to is not unfair.
" 
" Personally, assuming retaining an income tax, I'd like to see something 
" like this:
" 
" The government annually publishes a surveyed state-by-state basic cost 
" of living for a family of a given size.  Income below that basic cost of 
" living is tax-free, regardless of how much money you make in total.

yeah, but that's already unfair.  here in ma, the bcol in boston is
much higher than in say the berkshires 200mi away.  my own fair little
city, only ~30mi from boston, is half the cost for things like
housing.  do the rurals get a free ride or do urbanites get cut off
at the knees?

county by county?  worcester co is big and covers -many- rural
communities besides the city of worcester.  one single number wouldn't
be equitable there.

otoh, the finer the granularity, the more bureaucracy needed to track
and the more overhead cost...  town by town has to be too much, and
folks not living within incorporated town borders would escape
coverage.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought