The austerity program, being used in Europe, is almost causing a depression. We should never attempt that repub proposal. They listened to the robMehood plan, tried-it, and it's killing them.Greece, Spain, & Portugal are using that un-tried, unsuccessful plan and need to adopt what the president is doing.

Taxes should be used towards things for the common benefit such as roads, clean water, etc. They should also be used as a means to redistribute wealth in society. Pay what you can if you can towards these services. Doesn't mean the wealthy have to pay all or most of their money, maybe more than they are paying now though. After all, the way I see it, it's the people on the bottom who make the people on the top rich, the rich aren't richer because they necessarily work harder, but because they have CONTROL. Anyone who's ever worked in a restaurant knows how EXHAUSTING that work is, and how low the pay generally is. Case in point.

sorry, but my sight prevents good spelling, and my hands prevent good typing!!!

I believe that everyone should pay taxes. Whether or not the money is in the form of a gift, entitlement, grant,wages, salarys, dividends.....all income. The rate of the taxes is the problem.Just because granny only has $800. a month or $8000 a month does not matter. Me? I'm well passed retirement age and in fact have retired several times even though I am dis-abled, and still I have an on-line business. Yes, I Still pay Taxes-a bunch- and quite healthy, except for two heart surguries, half a liver, half blind and deaf, but I am also a veteran of viet nam, SWA, Somalia, and too many other other incidents to recall. Taxes? Should be paid. NOT Raised to pay off stupid loans to foreign countries. Not raised to payTrillion dollar debts-and not for things clearly against our constitution, nor federal taxes against ourinvestor-employeers.

One other key question is simplicity vs. complexity. Should the tax code be simple, predictable and based on clear rates / regulations? Or should it include a broad range of incentives and tax expenditures (i.e., spending provisions, not revenue provisions) that are design to accomplish a wide range of social aims or objectives of various interest groups (the ethanol lobby, for example).

There is no perfect form of taxation...but taxation has always been and continues to be absolutely necessary for the support of civilization. The major questions are, "On whose shoulders should the greater burden rest...the poor and middle class or the rich? and "What kinds of taxes are the most fair?" Regressive Taxes: The burden will be borne by the poor and middle class. Progressive Taxes: The burden will be borne by the rich. Types of Regressive Taxes: Sales taxes, value added taxes, consumption taxes, single rate tax rates, and single rate property taxes. Types of Progressive Taxes: Graduated income taxes; inheritance taxes, estate taxes, luxury taxes, and graduated property taxes.