[CORed]

One of the biggest myths is that we have a progressive tax system. The federal income tax is progressive. State income taxes, in states that have them are mostly progressive. But when you add in payroll taxes, which fund medicare and social security, property taxes and sales taxes, which fund state and local government and public schools, the tax system as a whole is really not progressive, and may actually be regressive. Payroll taxes are regressive because they are only charged on the first $xxxx (I don't remember the number) of pay. Sales taxes are regressive because lower income people generally spend all or nearlyof their income on consumable goods, whereas people with higher incomes are usually saving or investing a higher fraction of their income. Many low income people rent and are not directly paying property taxes, but their landlords are paying poperty taxes, which ceratinly has an impact on the rent they pay.