Flat tax is the most fair

Regarding statements in a recent article about graduated income taxes.: To those favoring this, do you work for a living?

Some argue our tax system favors the wealthy. In what way? Successful, hardworking people (the top 1 percent) pay 23 percent of the total taxes paid into the federal government. The top 10 percent of wage earners pay 70 percent of the total tax burden.

These numbers were based on the taxfoundation.org statistics for 2010.

One person said he would not feel sorry for a person who earns $1 million paying 50 percent in taxes and being left with $500,000. That is a ridiculous argument.

These are people who open businesses, hire employees and strengthen the economy. Why would you want to penalize them for taking risks and providing jobs, along with generating more tax paying wage earners?

I believe in a flat tax system where everyone pays the same percentage.

Under the 17 percent "fair tax" proposed previously by Steve Forbes, someone earning $1 million still pays $170,000, while the person earning $50,000 only pays $8,500. Much less than the person earning the million.

This flat tax system would help businesses expand and encourage new business to start up.

Fewer people would be out of work and the economy would be robust. The current tax system promotes caution and uncertainty due to businesses not knowing if they can expand due to the high tax burden.

This is the same reason businesses are leaving Illinois. Indiana and Wisconsin are more business-friendly states to do business in.

Maybe people who feel that a 50 percent tax is a successful person's "fair share" should then pay 50 percent of what they earn and then ask who will feel sorry for them?

Paul Friedman

Mundelein