Quote:That last little declaimer in your response is the point. The only way an individual is going to get out of poverty is by working more hours. Very few salary individuals are below or near the poverty line it's the hourly worker that struggles at the poverty line.

 

The fact that as they TRY to work more hours to get out of poverty they are taxed MORE and then penalized by receiving LESS assistance is WHY a production tax keeps the poor in poverty. 

 

Congratulations on completely misunderstanding the problems faced by the poor.

 

The main problem is in inadequate social welfare programs and structure and a wage floor that's set WAAAAY too low.

 

The first order of business would be adjusting the minimum wage floor to be indexed to the poverty level. No one should ever work a full time job and make an income below the poverty level.

 

The next order of business is to disincentive business from using part time workers by setting the part time wage higher than the full time wage and requiring that part time workers receive the same benefits as full time workers.

 

After that you also need to get out of the free trade agreements the country is in to keep businesses from trying to create downward pressure on wages due to outsourcing.

 

Essentially all the problems the country has are actually due to too little pressure on business to operate in a way that actually benefits the country.

 

Tax rates are the last thing on anyone's mind when they're working more hours. That you continue to think it's at all relevant to anyone except for those who are already making enough money that more of it wouldn't make a difference in their quality of life shows how clueless you are to what's actually going on in the world and nation.

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