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Taxes discourage work. In the 70's it was common for just one member of a family to work, because if another person worked, all their dollars would be taxed at
by DigitalJack 11y ago
Taxes discourage work. In the 70's it was common for just one member of a family to work, because if another person worked, all their dollars would be taxed at the 50-70% rate. The cost of working in terms of taxes, owning a car, gas, etc., got to the point where if a second person worked, the household would actually lose money, which of course leads to economic stagnation and recessions.
I agree progressive taxes make sense. The argument that a flat tax is fair by virtue of already being proportional fails to take into account the relative value of a dollar to the owner of that dollar.
- ubernostrum 11y agoIn the 70's it was common for just one member of a family to work, because if another person worked, all their dollars would be taxed at the 50-70% rate. Even as late as the 70s, it was common for just one member of a family to work because that person was the husband/father, and the wife/mother was strongly expected (and, through the way the employment system worked, often more or less forced to) stick to housework and childrearing.
- DigitalJack 11y agoI can tell you firsthand that was not the reason my wife didn't work.