Would you pay higher taxes?

[caseagainstfaith]

I know hands down most of us hate having to pay taxes and all that. But would you be willing to pay higher taxes or even letting them return to normal (normal = before Bush era tax cuts)? I personally wouldn't mind it. I know it means less money in my pocket but at the same time it would allow us to maybe reduce the deficit more without having to cut funding so much of the really good programs (IE education, medicare, police, fire). I also think I have it pretty good when it comes to taxes and you look at other countries like Canada and England and the amount of taxes they pay (and the benefits they reap from it)

So what do you all say? Would you be willing to pay higher taxes or keep the things the way they are now?

[Caitshidhe]

For me it comes down to the question of what would the taxes be used to fund?

If we got some good national healthcare, I would be in favour of that--especially with me trying to get out from under my parents. Vastly overhauling and improving our school systems to include mandatory comprehensive sex-ed and biology that discusses evolution in depth and prohibits creationism? I'd be all for that, too.

[Amaranth]

I'm a fan of responsibility.

I don't WANT to pay more, but sometimes we have to be grown-ups and do things we don't want to. Higher taxes is one of them, though in my current tax bracket it's rather moot.

But in the past and (hopefully) future, yeah.

[Dragon Zachski]

As long as it isn't more than I can afford (which may be higher than it seems if, say, I didn't need to pay for health insurance or such) then I'm fine with it.

Paying less taxes means having to pay more in other areas anyways.

[DeadpanDoubter]

I don't technically pay taxes...but like Cait said, if it means healthcare for all and cutting down on the bullshit in public schools, I'd be willing to pay more once I get out of college and get a job, provided that the taxes won't overwhelm anyone anyway.

[id82]

If paying higher taxes means paying for health care, then sure. I wouldn't mind have more money taken out of my taxes if I didn't have to worry about health care anymore.

[Rime]

I live in the People's Republic of Soviet Canuckistan. We live under the tyranny of high taxes. TWENTY PERCENT of my wage goes to pay for people who refuse to work for a living, to pay for ABORTIONS and HEART DISEASE and CANCER that AREN'T my PROBLEM! When I go to the hospital, I have to wait 48 hours for a doctor! WAAAAAH!<sarcasm>

I understand that in the developed world, Americans pay some of the lowest taxes in the world. It does smart a bit to keep the bills all under control every month, I don't have to panic about having a medical diagnosis, even if I don't have any medical insurance. And there's a greater range of programs to help people who aren't able to work. It's not to say that it's perfect, but it does have some real perks.

EDIT: After my deductions, it was actually 20.

[Caitshidhe]

Feb 14, 2011 16:22:51 GMT -5 Dragon Zachski said:

Paying less taxes means having to pay more in other areas anyways.

Basically, that.

[Dragon Zachski]

Also, get rid of tax breaks for churches, businesses, and rich people first.

THEN raise taxes.

[The Lazy One]

Before they start taxing everyone else, why don't they remove the tax breaks on churches, nonprofit organizations, and businesses? If that still doesn't help enough, then it would really depend on what they intended to use the money on.

Full disclosure: I do not have taxable income, but I probably will sometime soon, if not by the end of this year, then by summer of 2012. On some level, the idea of the government taking MY money and giving it to people who AREN'T me, bugs me. Also, with my medication, I can't afford to be paying for someone else's medical bills- when I go off my parent's insurance at 26, it's going to cost around $400 a month if I don't have new insurance by then. If they raise taxes, then I don't know how I'm supposed to pay for my meds. I could go off the birth control since that's only for my endometriosis, and save around $75 a month (keep in mind these numbers are if I do not have insurance) and while it would suck if that flared back up again, at least I'm not a danger to myself and others if I go off it like I would if I went off the psychiatric meds.

So I would tax organizations that are not currently taxed first before raising taxes on individuals.

[DeadpanDoubter]

Feb 14, 2011 16:35:28 GMT -5 Rime said:

I live in the People's Republic of Soviet Canuckistan. We live under the tyranny of high taxes. FIFTEEN PERCENT of my wage goes to pay for people who refuse to work for a living, to pay for ABORTIONS and HEART DISEASE and CANCER that AREN'T my PROBLEM! When I go to the hospital, I have to wait 48 hours for a doctor! WAAAAAH!<sarcasm>

I understand that in the developed world, Americans pay some of the lowest taxes in the world. It does smart a bit to keep the bills all under control every month, I don't have to panic about having a medical diagnosis, even if I don't have any medical insurance. And there's a greater range of programs to help people who aren't able to work. It's not to say that it's perfect, but it does have some real perks.

Wait...what? Only 15%? I thought it'd be a hell of a lot higher than that...well fuck this, I need to go study for Canadian citizenship.

[Caitshidhe]

Yeah, the tax breaks need to stop--especially considering how EASY it is for people to get tax-exempt status claiming to be a church or non-profit. (For instance, the Duggars claim to be a church and enjoy tax exemption, or so I've heard.) Legitimate charities shouldn't have to pay quite so much for taxes but churches should NOT be exempt, especially when you consider how many big, wealthy churches there are out there.

Things like ending tax-breaks, fixing the tax brackets for the wealthy, and cutting military spending should naturally be the first course of action when trying to solve budget problems and funding healthcare and schools and social programs. Then tax the rest of us.

But I'd still be okay paying extra taxes if everyman can reap the benefits. Fix my roads, give me my medication, let me see a doctor, teach kids not to be dumbasses, provide birth control, and I will pay my taxes with a smile.

[The Lazy One]

But see, that's the thing- I don't want to pay for other people's meds! I've got to get my own, why would I pay taxes so that some random woman can get birth control, or some random guy can get cholesterol meds? It sucks that they need them in the first place, but if taxes are raised for that, then I can't get my own meds, which kind of defeats the purpose.

I mean, if it was absolutely necessary to raise taxes for other things I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it. I have my own medical issues which I'm going to need to worry about. I can't be worrying about everyone else's medical issues, since I'm not them. But if the taxes went to things we all use like roads and schools and stuff, I wouldn't really have a problem with it. I'd be pissed they're taking my money, but I understand that we all need to drive and send our kids to school. We don't all have to take Jim Bob's medication.

[Caitshidhe]

The short and bare-bones answer is, it's easier to get 150,000,000 people to pay $100 a month into a pot so we can all benefit from the money than it is for everyone who needs it to pay $10,000+ per month for the drugs that will stop them from dying or having unwanted kids.

I know it doesn't seem fair but that's part of life. It's easier on EVERYONE if we all pay a very small amount and benefit when we need it than for the unfortunate few to have to go bankrupt when they need medicine.

[Dragon Zachski]

Feb 14, 2011 17:19:46 GMT -5 The Lazy One said:

But see, that's the thing- I don't want to pay for other people's meds! I've got to get my own, why would I pay taxes so that some random woman can get birth control, or some random guy can get cholesterol meds? It sucks that they need them in the first place, but if taxes are raised for that, then I can't get my own meds, which kind of defeats the purpose.

I mean, if it was absolutely necessary to raise taxes for other things I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it. I have my own medical issues which I'm going to need to worry about. I can't be worrying about everyone else's medical issues, since I'm not them. But if the taxes went to things we all use like roads and schools and stuff, I wouldn't really have a problem with it. I'd be pissed they're taking my money, but I understand that we all need to drive and send our kids to school. We don't all have to take Jim Bob's medication.

Technically, their taxes would be going to pay for your meds, too, meaning that it all evens out.