You said “HALF of all wage earners pay 100% of the total income tax, which means HALF of all wage earners pay NO TAX.”
WRONG! That is half true – and only when you consider FEDERAL taxes. EVERYONE pays state/local taxes and of course they pay sales taxes as well as payroll taxes, assuming they are employed.
To Jobs of AL:
You said “All of the public sector jobs are funded by taxation. So the private sector pays for all of these jobs.”
WOW! Talk about giving corporations and businesses a ridiculous amount of credit! Excuse me but taxes come out of the wages/salaries that WE THE PEOPLE earn through our skill, labor, talent, education and experience. Our wages/salaries are made possible by the spending of ALL consumers. If consumers didn’t need stuff, businesses wouldn’t exist because there would be no market for their goods. So, tax money COMES FROM the citizens (mostly) and from businesses (very little, unfortunately) and it GOES TOWARD funding public necessities that we all (citizens as well as businesses) need – an education system (to prepare the workforce), roads and other infrastructure, police and firemen, etc.
Saty13of NY7:03PM July 19, 2012
Public sector jobs do not reduce deficit by paying in taxes. All of the public sector jobs are funded by taxation. So the private sector pays for all of these jobs. No country can operate with only public sector jobs. If a clerk in a federal office earns 100,000 and pays in 20,000 in taxes all of the 100,000 came from private sector taxes. So giving the government 20,000 to receive 100,000 simply makes no sense. We NEED to get rid of MORE public sector jobs.
jobsof AL7:13AM February 22, 2012
@peterr of CA: Funny that you mention two decades ago...taxes were way higher two decades ago than they are now, especially on the rich. Those extra tax dollars were used to fund many teachers, nurses, doctors, scientists, etc.
oopsof NY9:28AM October 24, 2011
Great article! Too bad we couldn't see monthly reports graphed to show private vs government trends and together with both; also shown cumulative. A visual trend line can be very revealing.
Jereconof ME11:04AM September 29, 2011
The Public sector should not be unionized period. FDR stated this way back when. There are no controls on the politicians who asl for thier votes then give them all the Benifits that they wish for. That is why the Taxes are through the roof now and the roads are a mess and our whole infrastructure is crumbling.
Every State has a huge Maintance budget and nothing is ever done except when a huge project is bid out to a private contractor. it is then built and not maintained.
Take a look at the Ben Franklin Bridge between Philly and Jersey. It's rusting away. No more counting "Public Sector" as a
"Jobs source" It's just a huge expense.
We need a lot more public sector cuts and alot less taxes. Then the economy will get back to a stable footing.
Jamie wooferof NJ10:25AM September 06, 2011
@Deborah: EVERYONE who gets a paycheck gets paid with other people's money. Government workers are police, fire fighters, EMT's, teachers, librarians, meat inspectors, bridge inspectors and all the other people who work for us. THESE WORKERS ALSO PAY TAXES from the money they EARN by WORKING and help fund public goods and services and our private sector jobs through their purchases.
Ralphof FL10:52AM August 10, 2011
Where does the money to pay government workers come from? It comes from taxes. If there were no (for example, sales) tax, the fellow or company selling hot dogs or coffee would STILL receive money b/c a PRODUCT is purchased. Analogously, money changes hands for SERVICES b/c we associate them with VALUE, regardless of taxes. But WHO decides whether a product or service has value? In the however-imperfect free market, individuals do. In government, it's some SUBSET of individuals (all paid with tax money), all removed from free market forces and capitalism (a terrible system ... until one considers ANY other), all spending OTHER people's money. One might WISH that that system worked well but in the REAL world, it does not. Groups of people making decisions about OTHER people's money ALWAYS fails. I am dismayed that so many people (appear to) believe that it's OK to TAKE money from other people. What happens when the number of takers exceeds the number of earners? The top one percent of taxpayers pay 40% of the total income tax. HALF of all wage earners pay 100% of the total income tax, which means HALF of all wage earners pay NO TAX. "Share the pain?" Absolutely. How about each wage earner pay SOME amount? In the real world, even a small buy in has been shown to work VERY well to increase awareness of benefit and cost. What do you think happens when the number of non-taxpayers exceeds the number of taxpayers ....
Deborahof CA11:40PM July 14, 2011
Wake up America, this county has come so pathetic, states like California, have been bankrupt for the last two decades, along with the US economy. State and Government spending must be slashed by 40%, yes 40%, lower taxes across the board. Get rid of all those overpaid , unproductive state and government employees, that are sucking the system dry, with their overpaid pensions schemes, and poor productivity.
Two decades ago, USA STOOD FOR PROUD BUSINESS, NOW BUSINESS, is so heavily over taxed, crushed in bureaucratic madness. If the democrates get thier way, they will increase tax`s, increase state and gov employees, and slowley but surely America will go bankrupt finally. We need to have an austertiy plans like Europe, but the state and fed cannot stop spending,spend , spend , spend! business is, and has adjusted, now lets loose the state and govenrment, and we will all be better off. The difficulty is that the Republicans are playing politics, with other peoples lives, and loving their own egos!, but Obama, is trying, but is too liberal
Who will rise to take the Chalice?
peterrof CA8:30PM July 13, 2011
The increase in unemployment rates is by design. The Republicans have stated and shown that that they don't care about public sector jobs and have acted to eliminate thousands of them, so far. They have directly contributed to the rise in the unemployment rates that they love to blast Obama for. I am disappointed that few people have taken time to shine the spotlight on this fact!
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Saty13 of NY 7:03PM July 19, 2012
jobs of AL 7:13AM February 22, 2012
oops of NY 9:28AM October 24, 2011
Jerecon of ME 11:04AM September 29, 2011
Jamie woofer of NJ 10:25AM September 06, 2011
Ralph of FL 10:52AM August 10, 2011
Deborah of CA 11:40PM July 14, 2011
peterr of CA 8:30PM July 13, 2011
chris of PA 9:04AM July 12, 2011
dsafsda of KY 9:35PM July 11, 2011