It's not just the Democrats who want higher taxes on the rich. Poll and poll over the past year or so has shown that about two-thirds of Americans want higher taxes on the rich, about the only economic policy Americans seem to have a clear majority on. Here is the latest. In this poll, even the majority of Republicans want higher taxes on the rich.
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The good news in this poll is that an overwhelming majority think that the middle class will have to burden some of the pain of closing the deficit. However, they haven't quite come to terms on how or when.
The how is with an increase in taxes. The when is reserved until the middle class realizes an increase in income. If closing the gap between the wealthy and the middle class is accomplished, the middle class will, I think, accept an increase in taxes to Clinton-era levels.
The AMT was originally meant to punish a few families with high incomes and many deductions. Gradually inflation has increased that number to several million middle class people.
That is the model. "Tax the rich" means "tax everyone with an income" eventually.
Tax increases will not solve the problem. Deep structural cuts in government will. I dont mean cutting 10% across the board or anything like that. I mean a look at every program to decide whether it is effective, necessary, duplicative, or legal. Then eliminate that program or department entirely.