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Entry: Greenspan's Gambits Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/greenspans_gambits#5442 Post contents: MSS sed: The data given in the Tax Foundation studies I cited are taken from the IRS’s own statistical abstracts... Redistributive taxation makes government a predator of its citizens’ assets rather than the guardian it should be." The "Tax Foundation" skews the data, as does MSS in his theoretical example comparing the tax burden between the income tax and the payroll tax. The payroll tax consists of SS & Medicare as well as unemployment taxes, which amount to 15.3%, not the 7.2% in MSS's example. MSS also forgets that the IRS allows a number of different tax credits, from the home mortgage interest deduction to the $1,000-a-year child tax credit to a separate credit for money spent by working parents on child care. In addition, under the current tax system, such an affluent wage earner is also able to shelter large amounts from taxes in tax-preferred savings vehicles like IRAs and Keogh Plan pensions. None of these deductions apply to payroll taxes. Incorporaating the payroll tax into a total tax analysis shreds your assertions that the the rich are bearing the majority of the tax burden. While YOU may call the progressive income tax "redistribution" of income, the progressive income tax is not government fiat, but the principle that those who benefit the most should pay the most to sustain our government and domestic security. There is nothing in the constitution that specifically prohibits the progressive income tax. It is also an extention of the teachings of Jesus, and the Judeo-Christian ethic on which the United States was founded. Sent at: 2008 11 22