That + dependent jacking =’s virtually no withholding.

However, for me, the priority on fixing that is way lower than on another aspect of what you wrote: “Congress adjusted the tax rates from a heavily progressive system that mostly impacted the rich into more moderate brackets that imposed obligations on nearly everyone.” I think that the more you make, the more you should pay

Well, insofar as I oppose all forms of taxation, my point here was that the Federal government’s tax base greatly expanded during the war. Keep in mind that the top tax bracket reached as high as 94% during the last two years of the war. The very rich pay a lower percentage of their income now than they ever have, at least since the very start of the modern income tax. Even so, the top 5% of income earners pay more than half of the government’s revenue.

So the rich have always paid more than anyone else. What I was describing here was the fact that lower income earners were now facing the prospect of paying taxes as well–and if you read the Cato piece I linked to, you can almost feel the arrogance of politicians in Washington who felt that the “little people” wouldn’t “get” the withholding concept, so they had to soft-sell them. It’s all pretty disgusting.

My thought on the matter is, if the tax program makes Joe Average’s tax bill go up, its not the right tax program to help fix whats wrong with this country.

Completely agreed–and that’s what makes the withholding tax so wrong.

However, for me, the priority on fixing that is way lower than on another aspect of what you wrote: “Congress adjusted the tax rates from a heavily progressive system that mostly impacted the rich into more moderate brackets that imposed obligations on nearly everyone.” I think that the more you make, the more you should pay, because in nearly every case (I know there are exceptions, but bear with me here) making a buttload of money means you have been a major beneficiary of government expenditures – corporate welfare, the military-industrial complex, “farm subsidies” (really handouts to giant agribusiness), etc etc. All the programs that have been set up to make sure the govt helps transfers the wealth of the average people into the pockets of the very rich.

Now, a “buttload” here is NOT in terms of what you or I make; we are only blips on the chart. I’m thinking of those corporate fat cats who talk about their income in terms of millions. This is where the corporate media churns up misinformation, by making Average Joe think his tax bill will go up. My thought on the matter is, if the tax program makes Joe Average’s tax bill go up, its not the right tax program to help fix whats wrong with this country.