>Hard to believe the day actually existed when Americans were complaining over a total of 2% taxes based on your income. That included taxes on liquor and everything else people purchased (most came from overseas) too. I seem to recall that escaping excess taxation and government control was one of the many reasons some of my ancestors came to this country andm many fought to limit these...what would they think now? Somehow I think all of my ancestors would be sadly dissapointed-that is of course, except that one ancestor of mine - Governor Thomas Hutchinson who would is probably smiling...
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TWO PERCENT? What country do you live in? With Federal, State and local government taxes, sales taxes, VAT, payroll taxes, ad infinitum.... most middle class folks work the first five months of the year for Uncle Sam before they start working for themselves.... i.e., about 40-45% of their income is taxes directly or by hidden taxes.

The only folks who don't pay are the poor, and many companies like Microsoft, that get corporate welfare from the government. Every time they pay an employee with stock options, which their board authorizes whenever and print out on the Xerox in the back room, they get to avoid deducting that payroll expense on their income, making their net income seem much larger than it really is. The employee has to pay the option tax, and MS pockets the welfare handout from the government for using stock options in such a manner, courtesy of the "Conscience of the Senate", Sen. Joseph Liberman.
JLK