Wow. Lot of youngsters here. I remember the days when federal and SS taxes (yes, it's a tax since it's co-mingled and spent - faster than it's paid - as part of the general fund and not an 'investment') were about 27% of gross for a lower middle-class income. Earnings over $100K (about, can't remember exact amount) were taxed at 90%! Capital gains were taxed at 40%.
The only people exempted from paying social security taxes (until they were assimilated in to the borg) were federal government employees. They knew it was folly and would never provide a decent pension.
What you get for your taxes is the crux of the issue. If you got health care, perfect roads, great schools, safe streets that you could walk at night and a pension allowing more tasty nutritional treats than dogfood, it might be okay.
But you don't. You get crap for your taxes. Most middle-income families have been forced to have two incomes to maintain a decent standard of daily existence - three months away from homelessness if you both lost your jobs or fired for the disloyalty of becoming ill. Of course anyone should do whatever they want. If a couple is able to raise children to become responsible and well adjusted while juggling careers, more power to them, but many are unable to do that.
You fell for the carnival scam of lotteries that would infuse your state budget with hundreds of millions of dollars 'free' money for education and reduce your property taxes. Uh huh. How's that working out?
The rich people have always been comprised mostly of people who inherited it, stole it or were lucky. Those three ways top all others. The anomalies are those who earn it. The odds of a person born into a poor family of escaping poverty are slim to none, in every country including the US. There are a million stories of people and families in desperation that never get written for every "rags to riches" or "Paris Hilton" story.
Sheesh, Donald Trump's father gave him $10 million and choice NY property to get him "started."
