Nick - I agree with you to a point. If I felt the govt was using money to
systematically bring down the debt I wouldn't be half as angry. But it seems
every time they get some extra money they think "what constituency can we
give this to to buy their votes?" I'm getting just as disgusted with the
Republicans in Congress as the Democrats.

On point 2 - it depends on what tax bracket you are in. Like many people I
have seen a huge growth in my stock portfolio - yet if I were to sell any of
it to pay off my house, buy a car, because of these capital gains taxes I
would be paying a huge premium to pay off my house.

A financial analyst in an article said that if we restricted capital gains
to 10% you would see literally trillions of dollars come into the coffers -
people like me paying the debt off - real estate agents making new
commissions, car salesmen making commissions - The issue of capital gains
has been demagogued - as a "tax cut for the rich". Think of the
absolute huge turnover in capital as people (in their own interest as Adam
Smith predicted) - sell one holding with gains and buy another more
expensive holding.

All you have to do is look at Hong Kong to see what low/no capital gains tax
does for the economy.

I probably make less than most of you - for several reasons - but it seems
as a self employed person when I make my quarterly payments I have nothing
left. And I hardly have what you'd call an extravagant life style.

We have an employee who has a second job at a fast food place. With her
increased taxes she says she doesn't do it for the money but rather for the
friends.

So I would argue that there is a limit as to how much of a tax bracket you
really want...

Bill
>>>>>
I couldn't resist a couple of comments here:

1.  It is not a question of how much the Federal government taxes you
    but rather how much it spends.  If you don't pay off the national
    debt and/or spend above revenue you are just making a big tax
    burden for the next generation.  Both the Democrats (the spenders)
    and the Republicans (the tax cutters) seem to have a problem with
    this.  The government needs to spend less AND not cut taxes until
    the national debt is paid off.

2.  BTW, I had a business las professor who said he wished his taxes
were
    higher.  Implying, of course, that if he had to pay more taxes he
    would have a higher income.

Nick D.