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

[JaneV2.0]

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.

You seemed concerned that we "little people" (Leona Helmsley) were getting away with something--i.e. 40% not paying their fair share. I'm just pointing out that 1) that isn't true, and 2) the greedy rich* in this country often go to extremes to avoid doing just that.

*Not to be confused with the responsible rich who do pay what they owe, and give back even more.

[Tammy]

One must remember that everyone pays sales tax. The poor are not exempt from that one.

[creaker]

One must remember that everyone pays sales tax. The poor are not exempt from that one.

And renters indirectly pay property taxes via their landlords. Actually taxes of all kinds are passed onto consumers as part of the cost of what they buy. Just because people aren't sending money directly to the government does not mean they are not paying taxes.

[gimmethesimplelife]

One must remember that everyone pays sales tax. The poor are not exempt from that one.

True, but there is a way around that if they are willing. What many poor do is buy everything they can at yard sales and charity based thrift shops - both are exempt from sales taxes in Arizona. Obviously a yard sale is not going to charge sales tax but charity based thrift shops in this state don't charge sales tax, either. One I can recommend that is close to you, Tammy, is Maggies at 16th Street and McDowell, on the SW corner of the street just west of the Circle K there. I have gotten killer deals on furniture there on half off days and also scored some items for resale on ebay where of course I've claimed and payed taxes on the profits - but at least I was able to buy without tax. There are to this date workarounds to get out of sales tax.....anyone not liking this, my comeback is - and your dear leader is immune from scrutiny, then? No comprende, no entiende. Asi es la vida. Rob

[Alan]

So, if the majority of taxes some people pay are local, city/county/state, should the entitlement they seek be local as well?

[Yppej]

At my last job my income was below the median for the state by a little bit and taxes were my largest expense - Federal income tax, state income tax, Medicare tax, Social Security tax, property tax, excise tax, gas tax, sales tax, tax on my phone bill, on my internet bill, on my cable bill, and taxes called fees to have utility service, get a license, register a car, visit a park or drive on certain roads. Then there unfunded government mandates for auto insurance, health insurance, carbon monoxide detectors, etc. It sure seems like taxation has become increasingly regressive.

[flowerseverywhere]

So, if the majority of taxes some people pay are local, city/county/state, should the entitlement they seek be local as well?

it would make it interesting here in Florida. We have no state income tax and property/school taxes are less than 1/3 of what we paid in NY. By buying little new we pay little sales tax. The state makes its money by hotel and tourism taxes. Cars last a long time on pothole free relatively flat roads. And the roads themselves don't need plowing and sand/salting and associated labor and equipment costs. The gas taxes are way less than in other states, as are the cigarette taxes, although we do not smoke. Since the weather is nice, we walk and bike way more than we ever would up north which again decreases the tax we pay. It is an interesting structure. Not where I live, but many gated communities have the responsibility of their own road maintenance. Lots of toll roads that get tourists too. It is a very different structure than many states. Also, we pay county school taxes, not to our local town school.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Thrift store purchases are taxed here. So no I don't think it's really so easy to get out of. On the other hand people are so sick of social problems persisting, that taxes, even regressive ones are actually quite popular on the ballot lately (might not be if nothing get done about the issues they were passed to address, but right now they are). Anyone who really thinks local sales taxes go to whoever our dear leader is (Trump?) is just misinformed, they go for state or often very specific local issues they were passed for.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Thrift store purchases are taxed here. So no I don't think it's really so easy to get out of. On the other hand people are so sick of social problems persisting, that taxes, even regressive ones are actually quite popular on the ballot lately (might not be if nothing get done about the issues they were passed to address, but right now they are). Anyone who really thinks local sales taxes go to whoever our dear leader is (Trump?) is just misinformed, they go for state or often very specific local issues they were passed for.

Hi ANM. What I meant about the dear leader bit is that Mr. Trump to date refuses to release his tax returns for scrutiny.....(why and what is he hiding?)...which is much worse than my ditching sales taxes at charitable thrift stores, at least in my book. Of course I understand that sales taxes don't go to Trump. Sorry I was not more clear on this. Rob

[ToomuchStuff]

So, if the majority of taxes some people pay are local, city/county/state, should the entitlement they seek be local as well?

Wait, shouldn't California just cover it all?