Grandpa has complained about taxes a lot. In the thread about the war on terror he posts information about the % of total income taxes paid by varying income level groups. It appears he's upset that upper income people pay a disproportionately high share of the taxes.

Of course almost everyone complains about taxes, but Grandpa does it with more zeal than anyone else I almost know (sorry if I'm being too familiar, Gp), but almost no one does anything about it. Revenue is necessary to run every government. That means taxes. At least I don't know of another means. And the graduated income tax is the best, and closest to fairest (if there is such a thing) I know of.

Grandpa, here is my request: As the price of admission for all your complaining about taxes, I'm interested in your personal description of a U.S. tax code. How do you propose that the U.S. government raise the revenue to run the country, provide the public infrastructure, and pay for the programs that benefit the wealthy and the poor? And no, you don't get to delete the welfare programs you detest. We are a politically pluralist nation that provides social welfare to some of the poor and corporate welfare to some of the rich. That's a different exercise. Your mission here, should you choose to accept it is to develop a tax code to raise all the revenue the government requires.

It's not my intent to pick on you in any negative way. Actually, I'm really interested in your point of view.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.