Right now CEO's and the like are eating cake big time by raking in Billions for themselves while the average employee and investor in their companies get the shaft. These Billions of dollars paid yearly to CEO's and other high ranking officers should go to employees and investors.

Many Doctors and Dentists are no longer considered wealthy....

All licensed professions are declining in status.

Doctors, Lawyers, Cosmetologists, Electricians, Plumbers, all come into the same category.

License fees and liability insurance are keeping most of these professions from making any real money.

Is this good for America? I think NOT! ....

Rich people have the companies which supply jobs to
not so rich / poorer people. Poor people do not supply jobs to others, rich people do. Rich people
pay most of the taxes, if they were not around to do so, the rest of us would have to pay more.

If you don't like the compensation corporate boards are awarding their upper tier executives....vote them out. Although I agree the compensation packages are bordering on the obscene, most share holders really don't have any interest in the operations of the company as long as they personally are doing well.

Welcome to the creation of a third world country!!!
Rich and Poor with no middle class. It's happening now, just look around.

I absolutely agree with Phil. I also FIRMLY believe in a flat tax system. Why should the wealthy pay a greater percentage amount - they are being punished for being successful. Allow the wealthy (most who are the creators of the new technologies and new jobs)to re-invest their profits to build new companies and develop new technologies. Give them a reason to keep create instead of punishing them.

One of the greatest differences between the wealthy/otherwise is residual income, more investment opportunities, and expense savings not available to anyone else. Most of us are not even in the same league, nevermind in the same ball game as the wealthy. I don't think the wealthy should be punished for success; but on the otherhand, the non wealthy shouldn't be locked out of opportunies either. While the wealthy plan their next growth strategy, they don't realize the rest of us are planning how to avoid the crisis of not being able to pay our health care bill, etc. If most households had 1 million dollar foundation, they would able to plan their lives for success without the stress of meeting basic obligations. Although I run my own successful business, I still don't live as well as my parents did 20-30 years ago. The middle class is definitely disappearing and it is causing a lot of resentment.

This country is trying to put to many restrictions in the business arena. Large companies like Walmart are being attacked because of their success. If they and others, Microsoft, Target, etc are so harmful, then America do not shop or support these businesses with your dollars. Today, our government is attempting to punish these successful behemoths. Of course our government is plagued by special interests and crooked politicians. By making it difficult for businesses to grow, as that is what their stockholders demand, the handcuffs must in most cases be removed.

To Phil and Mark: Warren Buffet and Bill Gates were doing a televised Q&A session recently. One of the students asked about a flat tax. Mr. Buffet said it was flat enough...that wealthy people actually wind up paying very little if any taxes. I suppose Ms. Helmsley was right.

Wealth is all relative anyway. Here in California, my husband and I earn $300,000 per year. Yet, we live in a 1950s, 2000 sq. ft., $1,500,000 home that most in the country would call a 'starter' home (not remodeled-original condition with no insulation). Our kids get sub-standard public education, and our cars are 5-10 years old. Most people I know pay exhorbinant prices and DO NOT live a wealthy life. Yet, we all pay the alternative minumum tax because we're "wealthy."
People in Colorado and Texas and the Midwest are living in McMansions of 4000-5000 square feet, for $400,000, driving around new cars on cheaper gas.
The definition of wealth should include indexing for location.

What the very rich do not seem to understand
is that if they do not share the wealth with rest
of us, there will a large shift from the middle
class to the lower class with no one to spend on there products and services. It's not going to happen soon but eventually there will be no middle
class to support them!

All men are born equil but the cream rises to the top. Everyone is equally capable of becomiing a millionaire, its all a matter of effort and education. Education's the easy part, there's countless books available FREE at librairies. So basicly nobody has a right to complain about other's gettin richer, beause they could always be doing more.

Stange to use non inflation adjusted figures, and by the way, is it worse for a CEO who supports the employment of thousands to earn millions than a guy scratching his croch to prepare to hit a white ball? Is George Clooney, a guy making tens of millions pretending to be Batman worth more that a CEO? what is with this stupid class warfare stuff? We wanting to become Cuba? (Did you know that CEOs are already investing their wealth offshore now??

I understand why a person who starts a successful company would be wealthy because, well he owns it. But most CEO's did not start the company they work for, the company and what made it great were usually already in place so the CEO is an employee. No employee by the work of their own hands is worth tens, or hundreds of millions of dollars a year. A friend of mines company just laid of 100 emploees for "belt tightening" at the same time their CEO got a 20 million dollar bonus. Some people think our country is going back to the days of pure capitalism, that is working long hours for little money and no health benifts with a relatively few that are super rich. I do not believe the essence of American is going from mere riches to being super rich. When it comes to happiness, good relationships between people is more important then riches. Remember, spend money (and time) on people not things !

I no That if something is not done we are all in a Big mess We can set here and post all comments and Talk about it But Talk is all it is We need to stand United as one country and do something Talk is cheap LETS ALL DO SOMETHING

Im self employeed ,and i guess im not even concidered small bussiness (middle class)i must be a micro bussiness with 2 employees plus myself ,i tryed to do the right thing and supply medical insurance for my employees as well as workmans compensation ,plus the ususal insurances ,but up until now due to the rising costs of everything and the middle class being dragged into the dirt ,i can no longer supply insurance and if i raise my prices i will only lose more customers ,the middle class are the ones who should be exempt from paying taxes and hopefully this will drivee up the economy
signed---losing hope in ny

I am absolutely amazed at people like Mark and Phil. Rich people don't pay their fair share of taxes. Look at all the loopholes in our tax systesm that allows rich people to offset their losses from one company to their overall net combined profits. Look at all the rich corporations who have moved their HQs to the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, etc., etc., so they don't have to pay taxes. It is the poor and the fast vanishing middle class that has been paying the bulk of taxes because they don't have any investments earnings or losses to offset from their net income. Parroting the same old pathetic recycled shit and mourning about the poor rich people who have to pay taxes is an old worn out and boring story. Our idiot President and his cronies in Congress gave tax benefits to the rich by claiming how these corporations were going to invest in our economy. Yes, these rich corporations are investing but not in the U.S. Look at the number of corporations who have announced plans to increase their investments in China, India and other 3rd world countries and the number of jobs they will be creating. Have you heard any of these corporations making such announcements about job creations in the United States ?????? You think these rich corporations give a shit about the jobs lost by Americans !!!!!!! These rich corporations and rich people are laughing all the way to the bank by truly believing they are supeior people to the rest of mere hard working mortals who are struggling to put 3 meals a day on the table for the families. Get the facts and do the math by using your God given brains to think for yourself for a change instead of spewing the same old garbage.

i absolutely agree with HOPE ,and this article has gotten me so pissed off i had to add more to this ,
every rich person/hugh corporation ends up paying nothing in taxes with all the bulls---t tax writeoffs and bogus loses \realestate investments and bogus thief claims ,they end up makin money off the tax system ,as far as this president is concerned im not sure hes even giving the middle class a second though on anything ,we are being driven down every day further and further into the dirt ,look at the amount of foreclosures in the u.s that the rich are just sukin up and will end up richer \plus the amount of homeless \forget the bogus statistics ,just look around !
if they want to help this ecomnomy and the middle class we should be exempt from payin taxes at least for a short while until things start evening out a little ,but im sure i wont be alive long enough to see anything like this happen
signed-LOST HOPE IN NY !!

A Flat Tax would hopefully close all or most of the loopholes which allow those with very high incomes to avoid taxes. It will also provide incentive for those who are motivated to succeed to take risks and increase their incomes and net worth. It will still not be fair since wealthy individuals, who actually require fewer government services, will still be paying far more in taxes.

There will always be those who put in the extra work and effort, take personal risks and strive to succeed and grow their incomes... and there will always be those others who take the easy road, slide by and complain about successful people.

Very few "Rich" people had their wealth handed to them on a silver platter by their parents. Most worked hard in school (Public and Private) for an education and worked hard either to obtain high management positions in major corporations or for funds that they saved and used to start a business which prospered.

"THIS" is the American Dream. The American dream is not that you are owed a living or a sharing in sucessful peoples' wealth just because you happened to be born an American or because you're parents jumped a fence to get into this country!

All I have to say i wish I had just enough money to pay my bills , I and my wife are on a fixed and all we have coming in from that is around $2700.00 per month not even enoiugh to pay are bills, so if someone out there would give enough to pay off my bills that would be great. I would be able to live on that if my bills were paid . I also know it is my fault because I have theses bills but I am sure there is someone out who has a lots of money has been like me. So please if someone want to help let me know . I suppose it be a tax write off for them.This is going to be one of the worst Christmas myself and my wife has ever had.We have raised eight childern.I am not crying I am just sorry for what we are going through

Thank You Harvey

? do you all think it is easy paying a 250000.00 taxpayment

everything is relevant.
i am not some educated spoon in the mouth daddy and mommy socialites child

i made it the hard way school of hard knocks,
started business with no $ capital, used what ever was left bought equipment used fixed it up maintained it to make me money,paid myself last employees first(always)(it seems for all these mba's,phd'sblah,blah,blah)they don't teach them to truly care for your help,i have had many employees over the years,if the help wasn't happy,hopeful,that the future would be better they wern't very ambitious
i worked and sweat with them all i think everybody should just get used to it we are all workking class

i wonder how many so worried about their positions in what they perceive as life have volunteered n some way to help the ones in need,if we are headedin the direction most assume we are people better start practicing up to help one another it seems like there is going to be an awful lot of otherwise capable people whining they arent being treated fairly.
if you have never tried to run a business,and also beat the odds of failure(still around in 3,5,8,10,15years
then i dont think anyone can say much?if you enter a pie eating contest do you enter to lose,spelling bee,tennis game golf
i am not some degree geek, pour a 1000yards of concrete a day with your men,lay 200 splitface block,shovel manure as i have in my life even in the animal world the strong survive

look to god and god only for it is all his including you all

most people dont have a tolerance for the incredible risks some have to take if you dont have the tolerance why begrudge someone of success because they do
absurdity is sports salaries,ceo packages etc.
i would rather be than seem
most should stop worrying withbeeing seen
there were many times i asked myself kill myself the rest of this life for what
character,life builds character not wealth
how is everyone going to feel being a service sector to the hispanics,chinese
? why dont we start limiting these politicians terms'
then the lobbyists dont have so long to get in bed with them ab
nd i mean all politicians
if people wnt change stand up for it get out of your bubbles