Herb, Very well stated(Cass: insert comment here). But I'm afraid your excellent example, no matter how true, will fall on deaf ears. It is well documented that the top 1% of earners pay 40% of all income taxes. It is also well documented(Joe: insert liberal comment here) that 80% of all millionaires are nouveau riche(they earned it) Try reading The Millionaire Next Door.

Many people want to turn the issue of taxes into class warfare. But it isn't paying taxes that irk people, since we all know that they support our infrastructure, education, entitlements, defense, and those who are unable to care for themselves. It is what we spend the taxes on(see my post from 2 days ago on stimulus spending).

Taxes are a necessary evil. I just bought a car and thought I negotiated a great price, then the tax portion($2,100) negated me patting myself on my back.(I realize that cars never rust here in AZ, but I live in Scottsdale. They have people stopping you at the city limits if your car is 3 years old or older.)

Perhaps if we held our city, state, and federal governments accountable for all spending, taxes would less of an issue.

States raised taxes more in FY 2010 than in any year since 1979. Most people realize that raising taxes in a recession(I know, it's over as of 7/2009. However, my bank account and the 10% who are unemployed haven't yet heard the great news) is a sure way to negate robust economic growth.

The largest tax increases in history will occur on Jan 1, 2011 unless the Bush tax cuts are extended.