How does it make more sense to penalize those who are at the bottom rung trying to work their way out of poverty instead?
I will repeat what Newby said, because it's true:
The poor don't pay taxes.
There is a bottom line, if you earn less than that you pay nothing in income taxes.
I think I read/heard somewhere that something like 48% do not pay taxes, but I'd have to verify that b/c I'm not sure if it's really that high. And that's a big problem if it is that high, because then that 48% have absolutely no stake in what the feds do or how high they make the taxes. In fact the opposite is true, and they are voting to raise taxes and to keep all the free goodies coming. It's the basis, in my opinion, of what the Democratic party stands for. Vote for us, we'll take care of you, give you everything you need and pay for it all by taking the money from all the 'haves', and when it's a voting block of 48% and growing, then the stage it set and the pandering begins. It's a lousy system that we've allowed to evolve in this country.
Don't think too hard. No matter how hard you try, you'll never understand. Teams of accountants and CPA's make a lot of money to help the rich avoid paying taxes. Don't think for a second that you know what's going on.
But it is obvious that the rich get all the breaks. What is infuriating to me is having to argue it with you brainwashed broke asses who vote outside of your tax brackets.