Sick.
I swear we would be better off taking money from everyone equally as a percentage of income and giving it back to everyone equally as a lump sum benefit.
We should tax everyone's income at 33% starting at dollar one. 8% of that goes to paying for the legitimate functions of government (enumerated powers). The remaining 25% goes into a big pool which is then given back to everyone, regardless of income, as an equal payment.
This plan would:
* eliminate all other re-distributive programs. Welfare, medicaid, medicare, SS, obamacare, etc.
* simplify taxes - in most cases employer/financial institution pays tax directly for the employee/investor and there is not even a need to file.
* ridiculously simple and cheap to implement logistically. No government institutions deciding who is worthy of what.
* any work is always a plus over the standard benefit.
* automatically adjusts to changing social circumstance. ie, more retired elderly reduces the individual benefit for all enticing more people to work till later in life. Economic downturns lower benefit to all but don't make the government pay more. Automatically spreads the distress.
* no need for minimum wage.
* turn 18 and start getting the benefit - perfect for helping to finance higher education.
* consistent with two notions. One, hard work pays. Work harder, earn more money, and you always keep the same percentage (67% of it). Two, that you never do anything on your own. Your great country and the rest of its citizens regardless of what they do helped you get there. How much? Exactly 25%.
You could run the rest of government (non entitlement spending) off of the 8% and business/excise taxes with a surplus.
It's just a notion I have had kicking around for a while. Certainly no politician will like it. Setting up a system of re-distribution where government doesn't get to decide who gets what won't appeal to either party. Blatantly re-distributing money won't appeal to Republicans even though we are already doing it - badly. Not being able to decide who is more worthy of what won't appeal to Democrats, even though they suck at making and administering these decisions - because they will lose their base.
