Guy B. Meredith
Actuallly, if the very rich individually paid 1% of their income in taxes that could still conceibablly add up to the 34% of the overall pot. If they paid 15% of their income that would multiply the total portion of the pot they are paying.
Another way top phrase the question is "What percentage of their individual incomes they are paying?". Per your chart they are paying in the area of 27% and make up 34% of the total pot.
I don't understand. How could they pay 1% and make up the 34% number; and just who are the "very rich"?
In your last paragraph, you answered your own question. The
average percentage of income the wage earners making
over $200,000 is 27.4%. See chart
Share of Federal Income Taxes Paid by the Highest-Income One Percent of Taxpayers, 1980-2001
The
share that those who earned over $200,000 contributed was 32.4% of the total monies gleaned. See chart
Share of Federal Taxes Paid by Income Group, 2001 (Includes Individual Income, Payroll, and Excise Taxes)
The
share of the top 1% -- among which are those who earned over $200,000 but could also include those making less -- is 33.9% of all monies gleaned. See chart
Share of Federal Individual Income Taxes Paid by Income Group, 2001
The chart
Share of Federal Income Taxes Paid by the Highest-Income One Percent of Taxpayers, 1980-2001 shows the historic
share that the top
1% have paid from 1980-2001.
But please note: The top 50% of wage earners paid fully ninety-six percent of all monies gleaned. The bottom 50% of wage earners paid a mere four percent of all monies gleaned. Are we to expect the top 50% of wage earners to pay 100% of all monies gleaned? The only way to get past that figure would be to reduce the number of wage earners paying the 96%. So should the top 40% pay 96% of all monies gleaned and the bottom 60% pay 4%; or should they pay 100%?
For an interesting perspective on what General Wesley Clark thinks of those who now pay 34%, listen to this blurb from Rush Limbaugh and listen to Clark state unequivocally that those who do not pay what he says they should are
unpatriotic. That is one damned dangerous man and I am happier than a pig in swill that he will not see the nomination.
Click HERE to listen