If they don't pass the new health care plan today.................

[Alan]

There you go, being logical again! Surely any increase in federal taxes would be more than offset by a decrease in insurance premiums. And people could relax and not worry about losing their house if they got sick.

Under that scheme, would the 40 plus % of citizens not currently paying federal taxes be required to do so?

[Teacher Terry]

It would not be that hard to look at Canada and Europe to answer those types of questions and do what they do. It is a model that we need to copy.

[gimmethesimplelife]

It would not be that hard to look at Canada and Europe to answer those types of questions and do what they do. It is a model that we need to copy.

This is the sanest post regarding the insane topic of US Healthcare that I have ever seen on this board, and that includes my posts. You succinctly state something so obvious and so common sense that is over the heads of so many Americans who have sadly chosen to drink the Kool Aid. Ay carumba.....but at least there are scattered folks out there who see the truth in what you have posted and this does give me some hope. Rob

[Teacher Terry]

Rob, why we are trying to reinvent the wheel is beyond me. We have models that have been working for a long time and they are not bankrupting the countries and having better outcomes for less $. Poland is not a wealthy country at all and they can afford it.

[JaneV2.0]

Under that scheme, would the 40 plus % of citizens not currently paying federal taxes be required to do so?

That's a popular rightie talking point, but it's not true--like many of them--if you count payroll taxes:

https://mises.org/blog/myth-half-ame...-federal-taxes

[Alan]

That's a popular rightie talking point, but it's not true--like many of them--if you count payroll taxes:

https://mises.org/blog/myth-half-ame...-federal-taxes

I wasn't counting payroll taxes. I'll amend the question for clarity: Under that scheme, would the 40 plus % of citizens not currently paying federal income taxes be required to do so?

[JaneV2.0]

You mean the oligarchs with crafty tax lawyers? The corporations that evade taxes with addresses in the Caymans? If you're dirt poor, you probably won't be paying much in taxes--except for regressive ones like sales tax, and the taxes that come out of your paycheck. I have no idea how people avoid taxes--I pay mine--and I doubt that many do, Mitt Romney's snide commentary aside. If you're concerned that some middle-income person somewhere isn't paying what you consider their fair share, maybe you should work for more and better-paying jobs in this country.

[Alan]

You mean the oligarchs with crafty tax lawyers? The corporations that evade taxes with addresses in the Caymans? If you're dirt poor, you probably won't be paying much in taxes--except for regressive ones like sales tax, and the taxes that come out of your paycheck. I have no idea how people avoid taxes--I pay mine--and I doubt that many do, Mitt Romney's snide commentary aside. If you're concerned that some middle-income person somewhere isn't paying what you consider their fair share, maybe you should work for more and better-paying jobs in this country.

LOL, if you start your reply concerned that someone or some entity isn't paying what you consider to be their fair share, you should probably just stop there rather than accuse me of thinking like you.

[LDAHL]

Anecdotes and stories about crafty tax lawyers aside, the Tax Foundation reports that the top 1% pays about 37.9% of total federal taxes and the top 5% pays about 58.6% Of course, what you consider "fair" is subjective.

https://taxfoundation.org/summary-la...a-2015-update/

[Chicken lady]

I have never minded paying federal taxes until now. My new goal is to donate as much as I can afford to non-profits doing work I think needs to be done in part in order to pay as little tax as possible. Also, I am really trying to find a way to afford solar power and get the tax rebate - So, trump has turned me into a republican.