That's just silly. Everybody needs some skin in the game or the welfare mentality sets in. Perhaps a nice flat tax without any deductions, except charity and mortgage?
Why should mortgage interest be deductible? If you can afford to buy a house, you can afford to not deduct the interest on the mortgage. It's yet another demonstration of the how the financially priviledged continue to priviledge themselves at everyone else's expense.
For the record, my wife and I paid taxes and own a house.
Why Joel is CRAZY - Nearly Half of All Americans Don't Pay Federal Income Taxes
- 23/02/2012 04:43:15 AM
1675 Views
Income taxes are not the only kind of taxes. 86% of Americans pay payroll or income tax.
- 23/02/2012 09:51:50 PM
1230 Views
A not so hypothetical situation...
- 23/02/2012 05:46:44 AM
1088 Views
Your paying more money now than then. Lower rate but more money *NM*
- 23/02/2012 07:52:51 AM
643 Views
Why the heck do you think the current tax system is skewed to the rich?
- 23/02/2012 03:18:43 PM
1216 Views
Once again, poor people have no money with which to pay taxes.
- 23/02/2012 06:23:07 AM
1237 Views
50% of America is not "poor" or too poor to pay federal income taxes.....
- 23/02/2012 01:01:24 PM
1140 Views
It clearly is, if they're not paying taxes.
- 23/02/2012 02:32:54 PM
1101 Views
You base that statement on what, exactly? Fervent desire that it be true?
- 25/02/2012 12:43:30 AM
1621 Views
2009 (the year cited for this claim) was an outlier because of temporary tax cuts and the economy.
- 25/02/2012 01:14:01 AM
1408 Views
Interesting, but lacking the data I consider critical; FICA etc. should not be counted, IMHO.
- 25/02/2012 02:10:45 AM
1257 Views
It's a phrasing thing, permits more bullshit
- 25/02/2012 04:41:06 AM
1209 Views
Maybe I am just playing the same game,but I find stats from "the other side" compelling in some ways
- 25/02/2012 10:36:40 AM
1680 Views
You're operating under the same fallacy he does - that people should pay income taxes.
- 23/02/2012 12:05:52 PM
1272 Views
In much the same way
- 23/02/2012 01:40:58 PM
1237 Views
Joel is crazy, but I highly doubt that this is "why"
- 23/02/2012 01:36:37 PM
1268 Views
I see your point, but not how it changes much in the conversation where we discussed that
- 25/02/2012 01:49:29 AM
1057 Views
You mention this statistic all the time.
- 23/02/2012 02:16:47 PM
957 Views
Obviously, we are talking about the bottom 50%.....
- 23/02/2012 03:22:43 PM
988 Views
I wonder how much of that statistic is students
- 23/02/2012 02:22:58 PM
1213 Views
The number "paying taxes" should include dependents of those paying
- 23/02/2012 02:39:21 PM
1178 Views
yah I read the link, but apparently I just didn't understand their explanation.
- 23/02/2012 05:40:54 PM
986 Views
Federal taxes
- 23/02/2012 04:18:22 PM
1092 Views
Your figures are fairly unrealistic
- 23/02/2012 04:54:44 PM
1279 Views
Not entirely.
- 23/02/2012 06:30:18 PM
1027 Views
Yeah I don't normally assume NY as a baseline 
- 23/02/2012 06:41:37 PM
1106 Views
- 23/02/2012 06:41:37 PM
1106 Views
It probably isn't. We even tax delivery fees, gardening services and other things with sales tax.
- 25/02/2012 07:03:46 PM
1076 Views
We don't tax transport of property either 
- 25/02/2012 08:16:53 PM
1120 Views
- 25/02/2012 08:16:53 PM
1120 Views
Places usually get around it with free delivery. A tax on a $0 item is still $0. *NM*
- 25/02/2012 09:12:22 PM
520 Views
Income taxes are not the only kind of taxes. 86% of Americans pay payroll or income tax.
- 23/02/2012 09:51:50 PM
1230 Views
And give the riff raff a reason to become involved in politics? Are you daft? *NM*
- 24/02/2012 05:04:51 AM
684 Views
25% of america is under 18, that means ~25% of the rest are not working or paid very little
- 25/02/2012 08:17:52 PM
1225 Views