Joe, why are rich people rich? Well, yes, some inherit it. But the vast majority work for it. The playing field starts out level, but where we go from there is generally up to us. I would imagine that the top 10% of all earners graduated from high school, graduated from college, and most probably have post graduate degrees. Most probably are goal oriented, conscientious types who view their profession as more than "just a paycheck". These people pay more than their fair share of taxes(facts in a minute) and I'm sure most Americans feel that just because you earn a lot doesn't mean you should give a lot away(though we are the most charitable nation on earth)

Facts:

(1) Top 1% of all earners paid 39.5% of Federal taxes.

(2)Top 5% paid 61% of Federal taxes.

(3) Top 1% pay 10 times more than the bottom 50%

(4) lowest quartile received $8.21 in fed, state, and local government spending for every $1.00 paid.

(5) Top quartile received$.41 for every $1.00 paid in taxes.

(6) This resulted in a fiscal transfer of between $1.031 trillion-$1.527 trillion between quartiles.

So, not only do lower earners pay less(none in some cases) in taxes than higher earners, they also receive far more back in services than high earners. As a country with high moral values, Americans do a fantastic job of taking care of those who are less fortunate.

Let's face it, no one likes paying taxes, but success should be rewarded and encouraged, not punished.