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i agree that it isn't just, but it's necessary. i know others have tried, but let me try to explain it too...
you've got three people. person A makes $300,000/year. person B makes $50,000, and person c makes $20,000.
lets take two taxing scenario's. first, a flat tax of 25%, second a sliding scale.
with a flat tax, person A would pay $75,000 in taxes, B would pay $12,500, and C would pay $5,000. this would "fair" to everyone cause they'd all be paying the same percent. but it would be unfair to the lower incomes because while B could still afford to support their family (with a spouses second income), C would be falling to borderline poverty level for a single person (not 100% what the official poverty levels are, but you can't really live on $15,000/year with a family and probably some of that money will go back to them anyways through govt. programs). we could also discuss why it is that the person making $300,000/yr is able to do that while the person making $20,000/yr isn't (and how it is or isnt' "just."). but that's a whole differnt topic.
total govt. take would be $92,500 from the three people.
with a sliding scale, lets say A is taxed 35%, B is taxed 25%, and C is taxed 10%. now A is paying $105,000 in taxes, B is still paying $12,500, and C is now paying $2000. total govt. take is $119,500. this way, the govt is taking in more (and giving back less since C has $3000 more to use to live on). The extra $30,000 is unlikely to break person A. they still have $195,000 to live, play, and bank off of. and B is in the same situation as before.
i don't know if anyone coudl ever convince someone one is better than the other, but i think the sliding (what's it really called?) scale would be better. you aren't taking as much from the people who are barely getting by and need it, whereas you are taking more from those who have extra and would not be using it anyways. it might not be "fair" but in reality, it seems to be the way to go to make this country work.
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shabbat shalom, mother fucker! - the hebrew hammer
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