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<p>Be interested to hear the difference?</p>
<p>And there’s plenty of money spent on education. The problem is there is lots of wasteful spending involved. School boards taking trips to Hawaii, Florida, and California for “conferences,” laptops that go “missing” from secure locations. The fact that the USA tries to educate EVERY kid (No Child Left Behind anyone??) And the list goes on…</p>
<p>decriminalization means you don’t spend money incarcerating or searching out or arresting for the offense. Also, treatment is offered.</p>
<p>We decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot in MA.</p>
<p>Civilization as we know it did not end.</p>
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<p>We chose to be, amazing as that may seem to you!</p>
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I have a fantasy too. Every member of Congress must pay taxes. Every member of Congress must pay their own health care. And every member of Congress must contribute to Social Security.</p>
<p>I pay some taxes: Property taxes, sales tax (including state and federal gasoline tax), personal property tax on automobiles here in NC, but my marginal tax rate I think might be zero. I have solved the income tax “problem”, no income = no taxes. 
But I haven’t done my taxes yet this year.</p>
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<p>I’m not sure it is right that this made me laugh so hard all three of my dogs came running. Is it right that this line is THIS funny? :D</p>
<p>* fact that the USA tries to educate EVERY kid (No Child Left Behind anyone??) And the list goes on…*</p>
<p>I find it fascinating that the GOP came up with the inclusive sounding No Child Left Behind, while the the Dems response is the more competitive Race To The Top.
;)</p>
<p>Between federal, state, and sales taxes I support a whole lot more than my own family. I am the village, I guess. And I don’t even make that much compared to some folks …</p>
<p>DH tops out above 50% marginal tax rate (fed and state) including the 15.3% SS for self employed. I’m bit lower as I max out on Soc Sec.</p>
<p>But you know what? I don’t really mind. It means we make enough to have a high tax rate. I prefer that to low income and low tax rate, although in a few years, we plan to pare back and do the latter route.</p>
<p>Paying a lot in taxes is not something I get agitated about.</p>
<p>Effective tax rate, the rate you actually pay = Total Tax divided by Total Gross Income. The marginal tax rate may bear very little resemblance to the effective tax rate. </p>
<p>My DH was a fan of the flat tax, until he made the calculation using our own tax return.</p>