bosco.. exactly right
what percentage of all income is made by those making over $150k per year? Without that statistic, the one you cite is meaningless.
There's a lot of Heritage Foundation b.s. out there about how "unfair" taxes are on the rich because they pay "the most" taxes. Given the constant increase in ultra-high earners and income disparity, the numbers game becomes ever easier and easier for them to rig.
Look at it this way,
even under a "flat tax" scenario:
Let's assume the average salary of the bottom quintile is $10,000, the second quintile, $25,000, the third, $50,000, the fourth, $75,000, and the fifth, $100,000. At a flat 17% tax rate in our simplistic example, those in the upper quintile are paying on average $17,000 each in taxes.
Now change the scenario as follows: 1°, $10,000; 2°, $25,000; 3°, $50,000; 4°, $75,000; 5°, $1,000,000. Suddenly, with no change in the tax code, this upper quintile is paying on average $170,000 in tax in our simplified example! Horrors!
They're paying 10x more than before!!! (No kidding, 'cause they are MAKING 10x more.. duh!)
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Funny how when the rich get taxed, it's "income redistribution", but when a CEO makes 500x his workers' salary rather than 50x or 100x... it's not! That always cracks me up.