Income is income, tax it all the same.

[hfojvt]

62. actually McCain hinted at it

taxing health insurance. Is the value of my health insurance benefits NOT part of my income?

NOT under current tax law. My employer pays about $600 a month to provide me with health insurance, yet I pay the same income taxes as somebody with the same income who does not get insurance (at least in theory). Although if his/her employer fills out the proper paperwork, then health insurance costs can be "pre-tax" as they were for me when I was a part-timer and paying half of them.

"People making the minimum payment amounts" would be paying no more taxes than people making the same amount in wages. In fact, under current tax law you ALREADY get an extra $1,100 deduction that a younger, working person does not get.

Well a person who gets their money from wages - that is, they have to work for it. They pay FICA taxes on the first, and EVERY dollar (up to a maximum, but we are talking about low income people here) AND they sometimes pay a "city income tax". In Kansas City, for example, that is 1% of EVERY dollar if you work there, whether you live there or not.

Whereas a retired person (in theory) can make the exact same income without paying either of those taxes AND having a shelter from federal taxes AND a shelter from state income taxes AND many times (in many places) other benefits such as a "food sales tax rebate" and a "homestead credit" in Kansas and subsidies for their water/sewer bill in my city. And often they can get these benefits even if they make MORE than other people who are working. The food sales tax rebate applied to income below $30,300. But I, myself, as a working person under age 55 got ZERO even though my income was $12,000. Same for the Homestead credit (for income up to $29,700).

How is that fair? It simply is NOT. But few dare say so, because retired people have political CLOUT thanks to AARP.