Who pays more in taxes? A simplified look

• jhay78

  

  mella;1249670 wrote:There are too many people who don't pay anything.

  My wife and I spent a long time working hard and making personal and monetary sacrifices to get to where we are today.

  At times we could have qualified for government assistance but we never wanted to go down that road.

  We have paid all of our bills, we never thought simply declaring for bankruptcy was an option.

  Umm, Footwedge was right- that doesn't sound like a Democrat to me.
• O-Trap

  

  That actually does sound like a LOT of Democrats I know. Pride in oneself goes a long way to force a feeling of needing to perform and be self-reliant. Not a bad thing, and thankfully, it doesn't show prejudice against political party.
• Classyposter58

  

  It's probably only 13% because of all the money he's donated. It's not like this guy hasn't gave back. He's donated $7 million in the last 2 years
• jhay78

  

  O-Trap;1251605 wrote:That actually does sound like a LOT of Democrats I know. Pride in oneself goes a long way to force a feeling of needing to perform and be self-reliant. Not a bad thing, and thankfully, it doesn't show prejudice against political party.

  Yeah, a more accurate statement would be "That doesn't sound like what the Democrat Party wants you to be".
• O-Trap

  

  jhay78;1251759 wrote:Yeah, a more accurate statement would be "That doesn't sound like what the Democrat Party wants you to be".

  Same with Republicans, only the boogieman they use is "terrorism" instead of poverty or dependence.
• mella

  O-Trap;1251918 wrote:Same with Republicans, only the boogieman they use is "terrorism" instead of poverty or dependence.

  Don't forget vagina's et al., Republican's don't want women to have control over their lady parts. The new sex education will consist of the following: Just pretend you are being raped so your body rejects any attempt to fertilize the egg.
• gut

  mella;1252397 wrote:Don't forget vagina's et al., Republican's don't want women to have control over their lady parts. The new sex education will consist of the following: Just pretend you are being raped so your body rejects any attempt to fertilize the egg.

  The whole argument is just stupid. Roe v. Wade was over 35 years ago. It's not practical to consider going back, for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do how the debate is always framed.
  
  It should be easy to bring closure to this debate. But I think liberals generally avoid the tough, direct talk because they love using the issue to attract votes. Republicans do the same, knowing practically and realistically we aren't going to change course, but the platform is key to that family values vote.
  
  Same thing with gay marriage. Such distractions to real and challenging issues facing this country.
• mella

  I actuall heard some woman say that on CNN yesterday, in response to the whole sen Akins situation. Thought the line was funny enough to use again.
• HitsRus

  

  I actuall heard some woman say that on CNN yesterday, in response to the whole sen Akins situation. Thought the line was funny enough to use again

  Republicans want to wage war on women...republicans want to wage war on the middle class...republicans want to wage war on the environment. Class warfare, gender warfare,...etc etc etc.
  This is a sign that the current administration wants to talk/argue about anything except their performance in office.
• believer

  

  When the Akins debacle subsides over the next few weeks you can be sure that the race card will also be played over and over again as we get closer to November.
  
  There are 2 things that annoy me about the Akins issue.
  
  First, while Akins's comments were a huge gaffe to be sure, it never ceases to amaze me how gaffes by Dems like Biden are given free pass after free pass but when a Repub steps on his dick, the MSM and the Dems are on it like white on rice. Second, before the gaffe Akins appeared to have a real shot at taking a Senate seat. Now not so much. It was crucial for him to win the Senate seat so we can boot Dingy Harry Reid out of his lofty Senate Majority Leader slot and have a shot at repealing Obamacare, passing a budget, etc.
• jhay78

  

  As long as Bill Clinton is the keynote speaker at the Dem convention, none of them can say anything about how Republicans (or Akins) treat or talk about women.
• Heretic

  

  believer;1252770 wrote:When the Akins debacle subsides over the next few weeks you can be sure that the race card will also be played over and over again as we get closer to November.

  You mean the Birthers will be back?
  
  Oh wait...I forgot that it's only one side that detracts from real issues to focus on frivolous nonsense.
• gut

  Heretic;1252973 wrote:You mean the Birthers will be back?
  
  Oh wait...I forgot that it's only one side that detracts from real issues to focus on frivolous nonsense.

  Yeah, because comparing that lunatic fringe of Birthers to the mainstream liberals and Dems is really apples-to-apples. They do a great job of singling out a few loonies in the Repub party to paint with a massively broad brush. Like how they villified the Tea Party as "financial terrorists" and say they've hijacked the Repub party when there are only about 30-40 in the Tea Party caucus.
• isadore

  gosh a ruddies "a few loonies"
  
  todd akins is a long standing member of the house of representatives who co sponsored extremist anti abortion legislation with paul ryan, and who won the republican primary for us senator.
  and who were major opponents of mitt romney for the republican presidential nomintion, gosh lets see michelle bachman, donald trump, herman cain, rick santorum and rick perry (idiot rather than loon).
• Abe Vigoda

  

  fish82;1249487 wrote:If he was "dodging" taxes, the IRS would probably be crawling up his ass. He's likely paying everything he's legally obligated to.
  
  I love this chart though...it literally kicks the **** out of the "rich don't pay their fair share" meme.

  Wow this topic got off track.
  
  Fish, you do understand what the concept of averaging is correct? I doubt very much that if you have a descent job and you do not own your own business that you are paying anything less than 22%
• fish82

  

  Abe Vigoda;1253791 wrote:Wow this topic got off track.
  
  Fish, you do understand what the concept of averaging is correct? I doubt very much that if you have a descent job and you do not own your own business that you are paying anything less than 22%

  And you would be incorrect. 2008-2011 I averaged 10.7%. Mrs. Fish makes 1/2 again what I do, and she's at about 14%. Our income puts us squarely in the top 5%.
• jmog

  Abe Vigoda;1253791 wrote:Wow this topic got off track.
  
  Fish, you do understand what the concept of averaging is correct? I doubt very much that if you have a descent job and you do not own your own business that you are paying anything less than 22%

  If we are talking federal income tax only (not SS, not Medicare/Medicaid, not State/Local/etc), then I, combined with my wife (mostly mine, she only works part time) am in the top 10% (over $100k).
  
  According to the IRS averages, the top 10% averages 18%. At the end of the day, after all deductions possible, I paid 6.2%.
  
  That's, again only federal income taxes, and based off of my starting gross income. Its about 10% based off of AGI (which most of the averages use).
  
  So, based off of AGI I paid 9.8%. I guess if you go by AGI I'm technically only in the top 25% since through deducting/exemptions I drop down 40% of my income as non-taxable (3 kids, 401ks, mortgage, charitable donations, etc).
  
  I guess I am a tax cheat too huh? I mean I made over $100k last year but was only taxed on <$70k?
  
  I'm sorry, but if anyone is really paying 22% and aren't honestly rich, they need to find someone else to do their taxes because they either suck, or are single, or really don't do anything with their money that can in any way be deducted (aka they rent instead of own, they give $0 to charity, have no kids, etc).
• gut

  isadore;1253672 wrote:gosh a ruddies "a few loonies"
  
  todd akins is a long standing member of the house of representatives who co sponsored extremist anti abortion legislation with paul ryan, and who won the republican primary for us senator.
  and who were major opponents of mitt romney for the republican presidential nomintion, gosh lets see michelle bachman, donald trump, herman cain, rick santorum and rick perry (idiot rather than loon).

  LMAO, yeah, Donald Trump and Herman Cain are really having an impact in the Republican party. Just a couple of loons that flirted with running to varying degrees.
  
  Now, Nancy Pelois and Harry Reid are LEADERS in the Democratic Party. Toss in Obama and you have quite the Axis of Incompetence. No need to use mostly fringe and/or minor players to paint with a broad brush, those 3 are at the top of the pyramid.
• isadore

  gut;1254000 wrote:LMAO, yeah, Donald Trump and Herman Cain are really having an impact in the Republican party. Just a couple of loons that flirted with running to varying degrees.
  
  Now, Nancy Pelois and Harry Reid are LEADERS in the Democratic Party. Toss in Obama and you have quite the Axis of Incompetence. No need to use mostly fringe and/or minor players to paint with a broad brush, those 3 are at the top of the pyramid.

  gosh they hardly qualify as as extremists as compared to those in the tea party and those people including cain, bachman, santorum, gingrich who had support of the mass of republican voters in primaries. mitt had a helluva time through much of the primary campaign capturing much above 30% of republican voters, they preferred the loons.
• gut

  Several of them ran and got no real traction. Obama, Pelosi and Reid are front and center in their party. We don't need to pretend they speak for their party (like liberals try to do with Limbaugh)...the Axis of Incompetence IS the Democratic party.
  
  And Pelosi/Reid keep getting re-elected. But I suppose them buying their re-election in NV and CA with other people's tax dollars wouldn't bother someone who doesn't pay taxes.
• HitsRus

  

  Now, Nancy Pelois and Harry Reid are LEADERS in the Democratic Party. Toss in Obama and you have quite the Axis of Incompetence. No need to use mostly fringe and/or minor players to paint with a broad brush, those 3 are at the top of the pyramid

  
  Axis of Incompetence.:thumbup:
  
  repped for truth.
• isadore

  gosh a ruddies, up until santorums withdrawal the large majorirty of republican presidential primary voters preferred rick or newt gingrich to ron paul. a flake former senator overwhelmingly rejected by his own state and a disgraced former speaker of the house. wow. 1/3 of republicans believe the president is a muslim, wow. some recent republican leaders in congress speaker newt, out in disgrace, speaker bob livingston resigned in disgrace in sex scandal, house majority leader tom "the hammer" delay forced from office in a money laundering scheme.
• gut

  1/3 of Republicans believe Obama is a Muslim? I'll buy that....And probably 25% of Democrats don't know who the VP is. All any of this proves is that the average American is an idiot.
  
  And I don't know what's worse...not voting for Obama because of a mistaken belief he's a Muslim, or buying into the hope and change crap and pulling the lever like a CNN-Stepford wife.
• O-Trap

  

  gut;1254587 wrote:... the average American is an idiot.

  Rrrrrrrrrep!