Voices Question

I strongly support raising revenue by methods that take into account citizen's and corporation's ability to pay. So I support income surtax on wealthy earners. Sales tax is more problematic because it hurts low income folks. I support eliminating (or at least raising) the ceiling on Social Security taxes. Raising revenue is absolutely the right way to go. Cutting spending on public services is wrong headed. It will prolong the recession. All the data shows increased public spending will bolster the economy.

I support taxing the wealthy and corporations at a higher rate. As my father always taught us - the economy in a democracy is like a tree - you have to feed the roots to keep it alive. I support eliminating the ceiling on Social Security taxes. I support elimination of subsidies for oil companies. This subsidy is ludicrous. We want to reduce our dependence on polluting oil and yet we give taxpayer money to corporations who make billions of dollars in profits every quarter. How does this make sense?

a. Rather than a surtax on wealthy earners, I support going back to the pre-Reagan tax rates, when Clinton presided over the biggest non war time economic boom ever in the history of this great nation! b. Sales taxes are regressive, which is economics speak for taxing the poorest the most and the richest the least. I do not support sales taxes. c. Eliminate the SSN tax ceiling! Long overdue. d. Why did we ever give subsidies to the oil companies to begin with? Correct this wrong ASAP!

a) Possibly, but I'd rather see truly progressive tax rates ... even if it meant that I had to pay more taxes. Fairness, above all, and it would be fairer if everyone paid taxes according to his/her means. b) No, sales taxes are too regressive ... or at least not until we figure out a way to make sales taxes more progressive. c) Yes!!! d) Yes!!!

Revenues sustain the cost of maintaining services. Services cannot continue being offered without revenues and these have to be paid by everybody according to income. Oil companies cannot be subsidized on the shoulders of anybody. Millionaires and billionaires have to stop using gaps in taxes to save from paying their dues in taxes. Corporations have to pay what they owe as everybody else. The country has to rely on revenues to continue serving its citizens.

It is time that people in the USA stop thinking of themselves and think of our country as a whole. Truthfully, if you really think about it, the taxes on services is so miniscule. If you spend $100 on a housecleaning, you would spend an additional $6 in sales tax in Maryland. If you really think about it, we waste that much money on stupid stuff all the time. Not only would we not really miss that $6, but we would help with bringing things back to this country--like great education. Plus, those who get so upset about a 1% increase in sales tax really need to look at it realistically. It is a penny for every dollar. A PENNY!

There is one thing missing from the list of revenue enhancing policies: a Jobs Creation Program. If we are really serious about raising revenue we need to do something about the unsustainable unemployment rates we are currently experiencing. While I support income tax surcharges, ceilings and subsidies, we won't resolve the underlying problems that plague our economy until we create meaningful jobs programs and put people to work rebuilding our country's aging infrastructure, which includes social security and health care.

I am for all of the above. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Education as we have known it is no more. They are asking more and more from us but trying to take away all of our rights. We need to all stand up and fight for our rights.

I support raising income taxes on the wealthy.

People should pay taxes in proportion to their earnings. Both the rich and corporations should not keep more because of lawyers that find them loopholes. We should be able to repair our homes without a tax. Have you looked at homes lately? They are not being fixed for a lack of money. Ran into an elderly woman in the market that now hates food shopping since she can no longer afford most foods now. Is this what we want in this country?

I support c and d - not b. Sales taxes are regressive, and therefore unfair. Progressive taxes like income tax is the most fair. "a" might land up overdoing it.

I support a, c, and d.... -Income surtax on wealthy earners. -Elimination of the ceiling on Social Security taxes. -Elimination of subsidies for oil companies.

I vote for "e" all of the above. This country desperately needs a revision of the tax code to improve its fairness and not put the burden on poor families.

We support options a,c,d.

c and d and possibly a.

I support: a. Income surtax on wealthy earners. c. Elimination of the ceiling ($106,800 in 2011) on Social Security taxes. d. Elimination of subsidies for oil companies.

I strongly support a., c., and d. I do not support sales taxes on services. That would have an impact on many small business providers and on each of us who use services -- usually from local providers.