[Nodrog]

Originally Posted by acropolis

let's say i make ~10K per year. very likely my expenses are very close to exactly that. under a graduated system, i don't get taxed much at all, and make ends meet. moving to a flat tax system, my income gets cut down a notch, and suddenly i need some soft, milky government teat to suck on to make ends meet.

Then you should either vote for lower taxes or get a better job. There's no reason why you should be exempt from paying for public services just because you dont earn much money.

and while it's true that the more i suck, the more i have to spend in taxes, it's still okay because being as i am below the average income mark, i'm still getting more than my share back with every % the rate moves up.

You'll be getting a lot less overall than you would be under the present system where everyone just sponges off the rich. And again, if taxes are hitting you hard, you are going to be less likely to vote for things which will require an increase in taxation. The main problem with the current system is that it allows the poor majority to force the rich to pay for whatever crap they are whining about.

any system where there is any correlation between income and tax is going to do just that though. if you don't like that, then why not champion a system that doesn't punish the successful?

Well, I oppose all taxation on principle. But assuming that we have to have something, an income tax supplemented with inheritence and corporate taxes seems like the best option. You couldnt manage with a sales tax alone because it would have to be fairly high which just creates black markets, and a wealth tax is a horrible idea since most people dont hold the majority of their capital in the form of liquid money.