[geeks] Taxes

[Sridhar Ayengar]

hike wrote:
> On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 11:30 AM, Sandwich Maker <adh at an.bradford.ma.us>
> wrote:
> 
>> " 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
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>>
> 
> 
> The Fair Tax would be a Federal Tax!  What you have described are State and
> City/County taxes.
> 
> What Brooke and you have described are not the same things.

Nope.  (I think it was actually Phil) described a federal tax calculated 
on a state-by-state basis.  Andrew was spot-on.

Peace...  Sridhar