Quote Originally Posted by Llamas View Post
The dumbest thing about this 47% thing is that the right is using "income tax" as though it means the same thing as "tax". Newsflash: it doesn't. Of the 47% of Americans who paid no income tax last year, more than half (28% of all taxpayers) have jobs and pay payroll taxes. (As for the rest, 10% are elderly, and 7% earn less than $20,000 a year.) So really, it's 9% that simply "don't pay taxes", unless you want to attack the elderly.

I also find it ironic how people on the right bitch about people who don't pay taxes, while simultaneously bitching about taxes existing in the first place. Personally, I pay my taxes and don't mind doing so, considering all the things we all use that taxes pay for.
Payroll taxes can't run a country. First off, the fica and medicare paid by peoples wages are basically savings accounts (trusts) set up to pay bills for you in old age or incapacity. So, that money is already earmarked and spent theoretically. Secondly, many people get back a large chunk of their fed and state payroll taxes through refunds etc... at years end. Many get back 100% because of certain credits.