A simple reason for a progressive tax system...

[WCGreen]

Those who make the most have the most to lose if our system falls apart because of less government...

The courts, the police, the firefighters, the school system, the University system, the EPA the Armed Forces et al, all spread are mainly in place to help the wealthy maintain their wealth...

have at it...

I believe, personally, that a well oiled economic situation can not exist unless their is stability in society as a whole. To me that means profits and markets can not exist unless their is stability and a belief, by the citizens at large, that they have a stake in the economy and therefor the state.

[Idealism]

1. Another reason is that they generally use the most, too

If you own a trucking firm, you make a handsome amount if it is successful. You use our public roadways more, yet you only pay taxes on what gas you buy, you don't pay for repairing the road that your heavy trucks break apart more than any other business does.

[paulsby]

3. false

do you have any idea how many extra taxes (specifically earmarked for highway repairs) that large trucks pay.

i'm all for progressive taxation, but this example you gave completely denies reality of how truckers DO pay for the damage their trucks cause to the road.

not only do heavy trucks pay special taxes, high licensing fees, etc. but since they get very very low MPG, when they buy gas, they pay lots more taxes per mile driven than a car does.

[Idealism]

4. The gas tax is pittance compared to how much damage the do

And these fees are payed for by the employee, not the business for the most part- which is why I said the company pays about the same as any other business that is not in the trucking sector.

[paulsby]

5. i disagree

we can bandy about #'s if you desire, but my understanding is that heavy truckers fees are not a pittance compared to the damage they cause, but roughly proportional

[Idealism]

6. I would suggest you look up the costs associated with 1 mile of concrete pavement

It is astounding, honestly.

[lakeguy]

7. that and roads are designed to carry the heaviest traffic

which are the large trucks/semis. passenger autos are like flies landing on the roof of a house.

isn't it about $1 million per lane mile for an average road? if trucking companies were taxed based on the true cost or road building, we'd never have any start-ups. much better to tax the profits of successful companies than deny new ones from competing.

[Idealism]

8. A bit over that, last I read.

But, you get the idea. If they were taxed proportionally, we would indeed have no shipping companies. I am not saying tax them proportionally, but increasing their taxes a bit to help fix the roads they destroy would be nice.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Absolutely right...

Well said.