re: #170 b_sharp

Should a person making $500,000 per year with no effort or talent be taxed at a higher rate than someone making $20,000 a year working 3 part time jobs, because s/he could not afford a higher education and all that is available are part-time jobs?

Your question is a very narrow concern taken from a very large and complex question. Because of expensive logistics, taking into account every different situation that, perhaps in an ideal world, would require different solutions, is economically not feasible, you quickly fall afoul of the law of diminishing returns.

Why should how the income is earned make a difference?

Should a widow making a union pension income of 75k a year pay more in taxes than someone else who has a job? How about a fireman’s young widow with 3 kids to raise- should she pay more?

Should a college professor who teaches a few grad classes and does research be taxed at a higher rate than a TA who works his ass off?

And who gets to make the rules?