I hear this rather frequently, but always sans numbers. What percentage of people on welfare are able bodied and able minded and do no work?
A friend of mine likes to throw out the assertion that 50% of the population doesn't pay taxes. A gross misrepresentation of reality. 50% don't pay income taxes, but if they have a job they pay payroll taxes. If they purchase anything they pay sales tax. If they rent or own a home or apartment they pay property taxes. If they have a vehicle they pay property taxes. How about the companies making record profits that reduce their income tax burden to 0%? In what world is it reasonable to expect the bottom 80% of the population, with about 16% of the country's wealth, to provide a greater percentage of their individual wealth so that the top 20%, owning or controlling 84% of the country's wealth, can pay a lower percentage?
A friend of mine likes to throw out the assertion that 50% of the population doesn't pay taxes. A gross misrepresentation of reality. 50% don't pay income taxes, but if they have a job they pay payroll taxes. If they purchase anything they pay sales tax. If they rent or own a home or apartment they pay property taxes. If they have a vehicle they pay property taxes. How about the companies making record profits that reduce their income tax burden to 0%? In what world is it reasonable to expect the bottom 80% of the population, with about 16% of the country's wealth, to provide a greater percentage of their individual wealth so that the top 20%, owning or controlling 84% of the country's wealth, can pay a lower percentage?