Half of Americans Don't Pay Their Fair Share

Fully half of Americans aren't paying their fair share of taxes. But, it's not the half that you think.

Buffett Rule (Buffett): "I could pay more taxes. People like me ... " (presumably meaning billionnaires) "... could pay more taxes, too."
Buffett Rule (as translated by the Left): The rich 1% should be taxed much more, even Warren Buffett says so.

Reality Check #1: The 1% are rich people? No. In 2009, the 99th percentile income level was just under $344,000, well within the range of better doctors, orthodontists and successful small-town business people.

Reality Check #2: The 1% don't pay their share? No. In 2009, the top 1% paid 36.7% of the total taxes paid, while their taxable income represented just 16.9% of total income for the year. (Got to watch that AGI statistic, though - it's after deductions, which the 1% presumably have more of).

Reality Check #3: The rest of us pay more than our share? No. In 2009, the average tax rate of Americans was 11.06%, the average tax rate of the 1% was 24.01%. But the average tax rate of the bottom 50% of income earners was just 1.85%.

That's at least half the population, who demand and consume at least half the public services who, in 2009, paid only 2.3% of the total taxes. It's clear who isn't paying their fair share.


Check for yourself: IRS SOI Tax Stats.

Gay Marriage puts Religious Dems' Faith to the Test

"The world is bigger than gay marriage."

That seems to be one of the two themes (along with race) that explain why many Democrats who hold strong religious beliefs continue to support Obama after his announcement of his support for gay marriage. http://bit.ly/JNkXHi

It's an apologist's position. And it is an example of faith being tested and found wanting. If a person believes in God and in the truth of biblical teachings, then God is saying one thing and Obama is saying another. For believers, God's word is not negotiable. It's not a political message. God doesn't put a "spin" on his word and he never flip-flops. For a believer to choose to follow Man's word over God's word because it's convenient is a serious thing.

The world is bigger than gay marriage. But, if you believe in and follow God, the world is not bigger than His word.