The progressive income tax is the only fair tax.

The progressive income tax is the only fair tax. It looks at both the ability of its citizens to pay taxes and places the burden of taxation on those who benefit most from government spending. The primary role of government is to protect the rights of property, and guarantee equal opportunity for all its citizens. Since wealthier people tend to have more property and benefit most from government spending on infrastructure , public education , national defense and yes social safety nets, like social security, medicare and medicaid , the police departments and fire departments (protect property rights), they should thus carry a greater share of the tax burden. It is like purchasing 8 slice pizza pie with 5 other people, if you eat 4 slices of that 8 slice pizza pie then it is only fair that you pay for those 4 slices.

I do agree that our tax code needs an overhall. We should exempt the first 10,000 per individual dependent, and then a graduated income tax on all income above this 10,000 amount based on how big of the slice of the pie you consume. It should always be adjusted for inflation every year. Even Republicans like Ronald Reagan felt that a progressive tax was fair to all and good for the country.  In 1986 Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.

Today many Tea Party Members and Republicans want to complain that 50 % of people pay no income tax.  What many of these politicians neglect to tell the public is that the majority of them are wealthy and have no desire to protect the interests of the less fortunate. They actually show their distain for working people by attacking Public education and many of the safety net programs put into effect the last 80 yrs.