Here's why everyone should pay taxes, even the poor

I've always been a believer that if Congress wants U.S. Citizens to pay taxes that we should all pay the same percentage, regardless of how much we make.  Call it a flat tax or whatever you want, but that's what I believe.

The reason I think a flat tax would be good for everyone is because it would put an end to the class warfare.  The reason I think this would be good is because it would make it so that every American had a stake in what that money was spent on.  It would make it so all people would care how our tax dollars were spent.

I mean, think about it.  If you don't pay taxes, why would you care where that money went? Why would you care if taxes went up on the rich, or the middle class, if you don't pay taxes? Well, the obvious answer should be love of country before love of yourself, but I'd imagine personal selfishness, or ignorance due to lack of interest, might also serve as useful answers here.

With 52 percent of Americans no longer paying taxes, that means that more than half of U.S. citizens have no stake in how tax dollars are spent.  If we had a flat tax, 100% would have a stake.  In other words, a flat tax would make it so that we were all in it together, and it would end the class warfare, something that began in 1913 with the 16th amendment.

I'm not necessarily proposing a flat tax, but I think everyone should pay something into the system, if there is going to be taxes at all.  Even if it's $10 a year, or even $5.

I am, however, proposing an end to the progressive tax system.  I think that all it does is punish people for making more money.  About seven years ago I took on a second job as an asthma writer for healthcentral.com, and my wife wanted me to quit because it made it so our income tax return was reduced.  Actually, there was fear we would have to pay in.

So, there really is no incentive to take on a second job.  I do this one because I love it more so than for the money.

My point is, the progressive tax system is a deterrent to making more money, because doing so may put you into a new tax bracket, resulting in you paying more taxes.  A flat tax would end that.  A flat tax would make it so if you made $50 you'd pay, let me make up a rate, say it's 15%.  So you would pay $5 in taxes.

And, if you got a good job with benefits and made $50,000 a year, you would pay $7,500 in taxes.  Now, of course there could still be tax breaks for families, and tax breaks if you make under a certain amount of money, and stuff like that.

Since people will no longer be thrown into a new tax bracket as they make more money, there would be an incentive for everyone to move up the ladder, so to speak. As more people do this, then the government would make more money in the long run anyway.

But the idea is that we would all pay taxes, and therefore all have a stake in the system; an incentive to care; an incentive to vote for candidates who champion for a responsible government.