realcoray --
I was not directing my 'diatribe' at you personally even though I used your quote for the basis of my response. I was really writing more of an essay on how - in real life terms - the "wealthy" work. Of course - my examples and statements are also broadly stated. And, I too, HATE the fact that big corporations (and some individuals) sometimes get off scott free. Or hide their money overseas etc. But we have a government that is supposed to "fix" that kind of stuff... and if they don't - we need to vote the bastards out. Our problems weren't created, per se, by the big loopholes... or the corporations that asked for them.... they're allowed to do that because congress WROTE the laws that way and the President signed it (many generations of them BTW).
Our tax code is crap. Even the guys that do your taxes for a living can't figure it out. CONGRESS needs to fix that. Simplify it. Cut the loopholes. Cut the crap. I'd gladly pay a higher percentage rate. IF I thought the code was FAIR and EQUITABLE. But we all know it's not. A simple inequity that all can understand is - why should a home owner get a tax deduction - and a renter doesn't? Well somewhere back when the US Congress thought that was just the thing needed to get people to "invest" in houses (called an incentive as mentioned previously). Is it still needed today? Is it "fair"? I don't think so but I don't want to argue it either. THEY have all the numbers - they can fix the tax code.
I will add this. Remember when they decided to tack on a 10% Luxury Tax? On furs - boats - and cars over "X" amount. That was directly aimed at the "rich". The RESULT however was that "the rich" remodeled their boat rather than bought new... and the boat building industry LOST 60,000 jobs. So who got it in the backside with that brilliant "tax the rich" scheme?
Here's a very short but "current" opinion article (again found by Googling "10% luxury tax") on the proposed "jet tax". Once again if implemented the only guy that's going to suffer will be the company that builds 'em and the people that build 'em. This is why I'm saying it's just never that simple!
http://www.nationalreview.com/campai...cht-luxury-tax
In actual fact -- they (government) need to ENCOURAGE people to buy stuff. For every jet out there - it needs a pilot - it needs maintenance by trained mechanics - it has to get built to begin with - there are sales taxes paid - and license fees paid and airport parking spots rent - and taxes for take off and landing fees - and jet fuel - which needs to be put in by a guy driving a truck....