I feel left out

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Rock Steady

From original article:

... But in 1960, it was also the case that over two-thirds of Americans said they trusted government to do the right thing most of the time. ...

These days I trust individuals to do the right thing more than government. I think that The Gates and The Bono should decide rather than The Bushes.

...
Yeah, but what about the guys from Enron and Worldcom deciding?

Originally Posted by Rock Steady

My newest stock options in several companies may pay out again. I'd rather decide where my donations go rather than the government decide. What's wrong with that?

The problem with that is that we're all likely to help those who are like us. If you donate to the Baptist church, they'll help Baptists. Donate to the Rotary Club, and they give scholarships to kids in their own communities - which means the wealthier communities get bigger/more scholarships. So poor, inner-city folks give what little they can, if anything, and those in their communities, who need the most, get the least.

In regards to the taxation issue. I can't find the resultant tax rate or tax dollars paid by these groups of folks. If your income is, say, $1 million, how much tax do you really pay? What percentage of their income does that represent? How much for the $51K to $75K range? What is their disposable income? I've searched for this info, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

The question remains: Is the US better off with a large gap between rich and poor, or a small gap?