Walt Palmer (poacher) is proof that wealth does not trickle down and that the rich are undertaxed.

[Whiskeytide]

89. Ahhh - but that was the beauty of the old tax rates ...

... that we have forgotten. Many - most? - of the "loopholes" you just referenced were designed to re-invest the wealth into our society, at least partially. You could write off building costs for a new store or plant (the economy and job availability benefited), you could write off salaries and wages paid to employees (workers benefited), you could write off product improvement costs or losses on ventures and investments (quality and R&D benefited), and on and on... The wealthy and high wage earners were forced to look for things to do with their money that would benefit them in some way while also reducing their tax liability. More often than not, the 'ways" they found had the added bonus of putting a good portion of the money and resources back into our society and infrastructure.

But now, with the rates so low, it makes more sense to the wealthy to just keep it, and invest it only in themselves. That's why we see off shore bank accounts, multiple vacation homes, $10,000 shower curtains, and absorbent sums paid to go on canned "safari" hunts. Those are symptoms of the problem.

The OP is NOT really suggesting that we tell the wealthy what to do with their money. It's pointing out that this dentist is an example of how the low tax rates have fortified personal portfolios to unprecedented levels - all at the expense of the infrastructure of our country.