“Almost nobody says we should have the richest pay the least. And yet when we look around the country, the vast majority of states have tax systems that do just that.”
Nearly every state and local tax system in the U.S. is fueling the nation’s inequality crisis by forcing lower- and middle-class families to contribute a larger share of their incomes than their rich counterparts, according to a new study published Tuesday.
Titled Who Pays?, the analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) examines in detail the tax systems of all 50 U.S. states, including the rates paid by different income segments.
In 41 states, ITEP found, the richest 1% are taxed at a lower rate than any other income group. Forty-six states tax the top 1% at a lower rate than middle-income families.
I’d argue that this is a bipartisan position at this point. When Democrats have power and elect to ignore this glaring problem (and the shifting of the tax burden has been a problem since the 80’s), and in fact are themselves getting getting even wealthier from it, it’s hard to argue that it’s a purely conservative position.
Democrats are walking a fine line. Money wins elections. Patriotic red haters love to grovel for subsistence wages and carp about other workers making a decent income.
If money wins elections it makes more sense not to allow the impoverishment of your voting base, yet the Dems do just that every single time we give them power.