[Vision2020] Who pays US income tax?

[Jeff Harkins]

  OK, that works ........... now if we can keep the words alive, by 
echoing and reflecting across the land, we might get some tax reform.

On 12/28/2010 9:35 AM, Tom Hansen wrote:
> My apologies, Mr. Harkin -
>
> I should have stated . . .
>
> "Jeff Harkins echoes in the words of About.com:"
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Harkins [mailto:jeffh at moscow.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 9:33 AM
> To: Tom Hansen; vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Who pays US income tax?
>
>    Well, Mr Hansen,
>
> I am uncomfortable when someone attributes words to me that I did not
> say. I did not "reflect" those words, simply posted them from the
> About.com site - which was coincidentally based on data from the US
> Treasury.
>
> On 12/28/2010 5:30 AM, Tom Hansen wrote:
>> Jeff Harkins reflects:
>>
>> "The top 1 percent of taxpayers paid 33.7 percent of all individual income
>> taxes in 2002. This group of taxpayers has paid more than 30 percent of
>> individual income taxes since 1995. Moreover, since 1990 this group's tax
>> share has grown faster than their income share."
>>
>> Could it be because the top 1 percent earn a majority of the national
> income?
> Well, it could be, but the Treasury Dept. reports that the top 1% in
> earnings paid 33.7% of income taxes in 2002. They also report that the
> 1% income earners share of income taxation has grown faster that their
> income share.
>
> More to the point, Mr. Hansen, the Treasury Department reports that
> "Taxpayers who rank in the top 50 percent of taxpayers by income pay
> virtually all individual income taxes."
>
> In all years since 1990, taxpayers in this group have paid over 94
> percent of all individual income taxes. In 2000, 2001, and 2002, this
> group paid over 96 percent of the total.
>
> WOOF WOOF!
>
>
>> That dog don't bark, Mr. Harkins.
>>
>> That argument is similar to the old anti-marijuana claim that 95 percent
>> of the people currently addicted to heroin got started on marijuana (let's
>> not pay any attention to the 5 percent that started right away on heroin).
>>
>> Scuttlebutt has it that shortly after Rep. Boehner assumes office as
>> Speaker of the House, a couple of his Republican buddies are going to
>> introduce a bill making the tax cuts permanent.  Shortly later it will be
>> suggested that spending be reduced by TWENTY PERCENT.  One can hardly
>> imagine where the budget cuts will originate.
>>
>> There is even a nasty, vicious rumor that attempts will be made to
>> privatize Tri-Care (healthcare for military retirees).  This has been
>> "attempted" several times over the past decade.  Thank God for DAV
>> (Disabled American Veterans) of which I am a lifetime member.
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
>> and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>>
>> - Unknown
>>
>>
>>
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