The Buffett Rule

[detbuch]

I wonder why someone like Buffet has confidence that the government will spend his excess money more wisely, more productively, more beneficially, more anything good, than he. Hasn 't he been more successful in producing wealth than the government? Why would he want to fund a wasteful, irresponsible government that is better at getting in debt than it is at producing wealth--a government that borrows and prints vastly more money than he or others like him combined can give? Why wouldn't he use his excess money to actually do usefull, beneficial things--build hospitals, repair roads, donate to charities, create scholarships? It is admirable that he has lead a frugal life and has already been abundantly charitable and he plans to give most of it away. But he, apparently feels that he still has too much money and wants the government to take more in taxes. Couldn't this excess money more efficiently go directly to needed places, rather than giving it to a government that would return less of it, if at all, to those places, and squander much of it to pay off its chosen winners and supporters. I guess he must think the government is doing a great job. Stupid of me to wonder.

And how about, instead of raising the tax rate of the ultra rich from 16-17% to the same rate as those earning $100,000 or so, LOWERING the rate of the latter so the ultra rich payed the same rate. Isn't the 17% rate what some calculate a flat tax rate should be. Everybody pay 17%.