Which is better?

[psjylife]

OK, I take 5min to answer because this subject matters to me...

Coming from France where I paid 40% of taxes on my income, I can't second the fact that people are so much into paying low taxes...

I was very happy to pay the taxes in France, as I see that everybody has access to free health care, free education and cheap universities, indemnities when you lost your job etc..

I spent 1year in the US, and NO I did not like the way things are. When I graduated, there were few black or latinos with me, some of my friends were not jumping while snowboarding because they could not afford the health insurance...

I don't see the point of always wanting to get the money back (sorry MovingIn, I 99% support your posts but not that one) : I don't have any kids, never go and see a doctor and was never unemployed.. But I never had to pay more than 300euros a year for my 5years of studies at Uni..

So well, we can discuss that the model in France is dwindling (and it is) but really, I would never accept the idea of having people not to go to the Uni or Hospital because they cannot afford it.

I admit it hurts when I consider all the expat people here in HK living with lots of money and all the poor people in HK who just stand in NT with little to live... I won't consider unfair that expat people are paid more so that HK people don't have to queue for getting soup at night..

Well that's an infinite debate, and I've always liked talking about it

[Beuze]

OK, I take 5min to answer because this subject matters to me...

Coming from France where I paid 40% of taxes on my income, I can't second the fact that people are so much into paying low taxes...

I was very happy to pay the taxes in France, as I see that everybody has access to free health care, free education and cheap universities, indemnities when you lost your job etc..

Same as you here, but i couldn't stand all the people cheating the system to get more money. France is doom now. People dont want to work as they get decent salary staying home, people go to see doctor for no reason, and the working population is reducing every years so the tax arent enough to support the system.

[aussiegal]

I would have no problem paying high taxes if the money I gave the government was used to improve the lives of everyone, not just bludgers. In Australia those who earn a lot are taxed a lot but they get very, very little in return. If you pay high taxes things like healthcare, school, university, nice public spaces, good roads, subsidised childcare etc should be a given for all. Unfortunately the US, Australia and co haven't figured this out.

The US of course is the worst. Nobody should be bankrupted because they can't pay a medical bill.

[hullexile]

I would have no problem paying high taxes if the money I gave the government was used to improve the lives of everyone, not just bludgers. In Australia those who earn a lot are taxed a lot but they get very, very little in return. If you pay high taxes things like healthcare, school, university, nice public spaces, good roads, subsidised childcare etc should be a given for all. Unfortunately the US, Australia and co haven't figured this out.

The US of course is the worst. Nobody should be bankrupted because they can't pay a medical bill.

I agree with all you say here, but believe me there are countries even worse than the US I think (me sort of defending the US, whatever next?). Still as the world's richest nation they should be near the top of the universal health care league.

[pinko]

Same as you here, but i couldn't stand all the people cheating the system to get more money. France is doom now. People dont want to work as they get decent salary staying home, people go to see doctor for no reason, and the working population is reducing every years so the tax arent enough to support the system.

People get decent salaries by staying home?!?!?!

Where??? If you are unemployed you get survival money. Who is going to give up his job (and a career) for this? 1) Nobody. 2) Only people with very few option. These are the people that without welfare would become professional criminals. And just look at the level of criminality in the US. Would you rather pay for someone to stay on welfare, or pay someone to stay in prison? Actually running the prison system in the US is so expensive, it would cost much less to have a welfare system. Apart, of course, from the fact that being able to walk in the streets after midnight without a gun, and knowing that nobody in your country is sleeping in the streets makes life more enjoyable.

It seems to me that those who are against high taxation are those who come from countries with low taxation, where they are fed daily news about how horrible it is to pay high taxes. Well no, as psjylife writes, the money you pay in taxes go back to yourself, through free, very good education for everybody, not only the rich, medical care for everybody, not only the rich, good infrastructure for everybody, security, knowing that even if you lose your job you won't become homeless, etc.

I tell you again. Find social indicators which show that life in the US is better than life in Sweden. You won't find many.

[pinko]

I would have no problem paying high taxes if the money I gave the government was used to improve the lives of everyone, not just bludgers. In Australia those who earn a lot are taxed a lot but they get very, very little in return. If you pay high taxes things like healthcare, school, university, nice public spaces, good roads, subsidised childcare etc should be a given for all. Unfortunately the US, Australia and co haven't figured this out.

The US of course is the worst. Nobody should be bankrupted because they can't pay a medical bill.

You mean that if you pay low taxes you get free "healthcare, school, university, nice public spaces, good roads, subsidised childcare etc", while if you pay high taxes you don't get these things free? I can hardly believe this.

[jimbo]

You mean that if you pay low taxes you get free "healthcare, school, university, nice public spaces, good roads, subsidised childcare etc", while if you pay high taxes you don't get these things free? I can hardly believe this.

If you're in a higher tax bracket then of course you already have money to spend without having to need subsidised healthcare etc etc and obviously with a lot of it being means tested then you won't be getting them for free.

Public Spaces are free regardless of whether you pay taxes or not so that point is irrelevant.

[pinko]

If you're in a higher tax bracket then of course you already have money to spend without having to need subsidised healthcare etc etc and obviously with a lot of it being means tested then you won't be getting them for free.

Public Spaces are free regardless of whether you pay taxes or not so that point is irrelevant.

So which things would you have to pay if you are in a higher tax bracket?

[lulumay]

pinko, i think you are better off in north korea.

[jaykay]

People get decent salaries by staying home?!?!?!

Where??? If you are unemployed you get survival money. Who is going to give up his job (and a career) for this?

You have very little idea! I'm with Aussiegirl on this, welfare states breed spongers who know how to work the system. It's not just dole money they receive, there are child allowances, family tax credits and a multitude of other benefits people are able to leech from the state. Some people are better off sponging than working and they know it.

It seems to me that those who are against high taxation are those who come from countries with low taxation, where they are fed daily news about how horrible it is to pay high taxes. Well no, as psjylife writes, the money you pay in taxes go back to yourself, through free, very good education for everybody, not only the rich, medical care for everybody, not only the rich, good infrastructure for everybody, security, knowing that even if you lose your job you won't become homeless, etc.

For those of us who have come from countries with higher taxation I cannot agree. The money gets spread and to be honest I can never remember seeing much of it back.

Let's take HK as an example. Low taxation. There is free education, good subsidised medical care, great public transport system, good infrastructure, good policing, etc, etc, etc. Kinda kills the argument.