Reply #33: I see where you're coming from

[DFW]

And as a matter of public policy, it's not an easy thing to set federal tax guidelines in a country with such huge regional
differences, and that doesn't even take into account state income taxes, especially in States like MA, CY and NY. No such animal
here in Germany, although the steep income tax rate plus the 19% VAT (again, no state sales taxes to complicate things) make sure
the government gets it share, although even with all that, the German government still manages to run a deficit. I think if we had
their income tax rates (forget the VAT--it's government heroin, as well as a nightmare to enforce and administer), we'd be way better
off as a country, although I draw the line personally at 50% of earned income (unearned is a different story).

My taxes would probably go up under any kind of deficit reduction scheme, but I'm not starving now, and wouldn't starve afterward,
either, rich or not (as we agree, the term is relative). Like the fictional character, I have brought balance to my wants and
possessions, and don't really crave anything I don't have (except maybe a recording studio in my basement--although my wife would
then probably never see me any more, so maybe that's not too clever after all).

Actually, I don't see the additional taxes as a burden, but more like a combination of dues and an insurance policy. Dues as
membership for being a member of a rather exclusive club of relatively comfortable people, and an insurance policy against
living in a society so burdened by inequality that the well-off have to continuously fear being killed by a needy, jealous,
impoverished majority. I agree with my wife that a gated community is as much of a jail as it is a neighborhood.