Contributed by: filbert Wednesday, March 30 2011 @ 05:28 PM CST
Via Carpe Diem[*1] comes this nugget of info from the Tax Foundation[*2] , reporting income distribution and taxation figures collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD):
The share of total market income of the richest 10% of Americans: 33.9%
The share of total taxes paid by the richest 10% of Americans: 45.1%
Exit question: If paying 11.2% more than would be “fair” (i.e. if everyone paid the same percent of their income in taxes) isn’t enough for the rich to pay, how much more would be enough?
Look at the numbers again:
Income: 33.9%;
Taxes: 45.1%.
If these numbers were talking about the poorest 10% . . . or the poorest 50%, most people would be outraged. “The rich should pay their fair share!!!”
So, when you hear that the rich should pay their fair share, the first question to your lips should be “OK, then, what’s fair?”