Income Inequality

In California the top 1% pay 8.7% of their income in state and local taxes.
In Texas those making between $35-56,000 pay 8.7% in state and local taxes. The top 1% pay only 2.9%.

The next time you hear someone claiming that Texas has low taxes, remember to ask, "For who?" The game is rigged.

In California the income tax rate for those making $41k is 8% and climbs to 13.3% for the top earners. Not sure where forky gets his numbers.

By they time you die, will you have paid more or less taxes than the mean average taxpayer has paid in total taxes?

In California, the rich can buy more cars and furniture than a person making average income. I guess we better fix that too. I'm still trying to figure if Forkie is just being disingenuous or if he really doesn't get it.

Never try to discuss economics with Keynesian leftists. They can't get it out of their collective heads that Capitalism is not a zero-sum economy. They kneel at the alters of Reich and Krugman. You do not own what you earn. The government owns what you earn. They think they should determine what you get to keep. Keeping what you earn is somehow viewed as taking it from other people that didn't earn it. These mentally ill people have no idea what "fair" is.

Don't they usually advocate that the rich pay a HIGHER rate than the middle class?

I'm simply saying the rich and middle class should pay the same overall state and local tax rate. You know, when states like Texas claim they have low taxes, it should apply to the middle class. How "leftist" is that?

Its called "class warfare" when you suggest wealthy people should pay the same effective rate as the working class (at least if you are a Democrat making that argument)

And that's why its going to be hilarious watching our resident righties defend Donald Trump's "class warfare" tax reform plan....(not to mention his "protectionist" trade policy)

They PAY HIGHER INCOME TAX RATES. They buy more items and have homes of more value, which in turn means they pay more in sales and property taxes. Sheesh. You can't be this clueless.

So...I guess we all agree that the obvious solution to this problem is to ban all taxes not based on income, right? All those other 5000 taxes are inherently unfair, so let's just shit can them. Might mean a few changes as the many states adjust their government services or income tax rates to reflect the new reality of 100% income based taxing, but this is the only way the people will ever see the true reality of how much they are taxed.

And since you seem to suggest "Wealthy people should pay the same effective rate as the working class" then you must support a flat income tax too, right? 50% for all seem about right? 30%? 10%? Well we can work out the exact rate when we agree on the size of government. Opinions on this might shift too once everyone starts paying for it equally.

I think we're making progress though. And what could possibly be more 'fair'? Everybody---rich and poor paying the same effective tax rate as you and forkush advocate.

Nope. Those figures for total state and local taxes INCLUDE SALES, EXCISE, AND PROPERTY TAX. And in Texas, middle class citizens pay four or five times the total state and local tax RATE of the top 1%.

And that's class warfare.