Most Americans say rich should pay more taxes, according to new survey
"The Great Recession was not an equal opportunity disemployer," said Sheldon Danziger, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan who describes the gap between rich and poor as the widest in decades. "College graduates, whites and middle-aged workers had fewer and shorter layoffs than high school graduates, blacks, Hispanics and younger workers. And, only a small percentage of the rich work in the hardest-hit industries, like construction and manufacturing."
About 65 percent of Americans say the gap between rich and poor has gotten wider in the past decade, while 20 percent believe it has stayed the same and 7 percent say the gap has gotten smaller. Separately, 57 percent say a widening income gap is a bad thing for society; just 3 percent say it is a good thing.
Asked to estimate how much a family of four would need to earn to be considered wealthy in their area, the median amount given by survey respondents was $150,000. For middle class, the median amount was $70,000.
Many Americans see rich people as more likely to be intelligent (43 percent) and hardworking (42 percent) than average Americans. But the rich are also seen as more likely to be greedy (55 percent). Thirty-four percent of those surveyed say the rich are less likely to be honest than the average person; just 12 percent say the rich are more likely to be honest.
The Pew survey involved telephone interviews with 2,508 adults conducted from July 16 to 26. It has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
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You consider yourself the 1% percent. Therefore, you are more than capable of helping out your fellow Americans. But you'd rather use it on what? Probably shopping and making yourself pretty. It disgusts me to see people like you diss the lower class because we ask for a little HELP from you smug little ********. If ANYONE is being selfish, it's the 1%. Whining because they might need to pay higher taxes. SERIOUSLY?
When you can pay for private jets, and million dollar houses
and the twenty-cars you don't need? And WE, the poor, unemployed, old, disabled people are being greedy because we barely have enough to feed our families and aren't trying to have our taxes raised, our medicare cut and our lifelines destroyed?
Get real Melody.
http://www.alaouiali.com/2012/08/29/the-rich-arent-playing-the-game/
Minimum wage laws leads to unemployment. Minimum wage laws do not help workers.
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Mortar, not only are you unwilling to pay income taxes to support the operations of government that society (through our elected representatives) has deemed necessary, you are ALSO in favor of allowing employers to exploit their workers. What a heartless position to take.
Sounds like with the disappearance of the middle-class, all people want are subsidies.
2) Ta hell with Globalization, businesses must create local jobs to create wages to buy locally produced products.
3) Have all earnings / income become a matter of public record.
4) Ban corporate contributions to political elections.
5) Citizenship should not be a right but should be something that's earned by service to ones country. All others not declared citizens are allowed to stay but pay much higher taxes until they're able to earn it.