In the US, our marginal tax rates on high income earners is at near the lowest
point it has ever been - one needs to go back to the years between 1925 and 1931
to see rates this low.
And, of course, we have never had tax rates this low during war time.
http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php
But really, federal tax rates tell an incomplete story. What about things like
sin taxes on alcohol and cigarettes - items that historically have been marketed
more aggressively in low-income/lower SES neighborhoods? And let's not even get
started on the lottery.
And, while any comparison to Europe is generally an apples/oranges comparison
(due to the level of social services provided within Europe, and VAT, to name a
couple factors) it's worth noting that both Sweden and Finland (2 countries that
are generally held up as having an excellent educational system, and a high
quality of life) have higher rates of taxation than the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Finland#Taxation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Sweden
So, while we might have different ideas about what "social justice" actually
means (although I suspect many of our definitions are pretty similar) I think we
can all agree that any type of social justice or true democracy is complicated
by a lack of a level playing field. And, the increasing gap between the very
rich and the rest of us creates a slanted playing field. And I think we need to
get real about the fact that financial aid within the independent school world -
while a good thing, and something that should continue - is a very small drop in
a very big bucket.
Advocating for the advantages that many of us in the independent school system
enjoy/have enjoyed - small class sizes; a flexible, project-based curriculum;
increased instructional hours via block schedules, etc, etc, etc - would be one
way that the independent school world could work with schools outside the
independent school network to make a real difference in how people in this
country experience school.
Cheers,
Bill
----- Original Message ----
From: Fred Bartels <fredbartels@gmail.com>
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Sent: Mon, September 6, 2010 9:49:51 AM
Subject: Re: A Question for This Labor Day Weekend
"Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. *
*I guess we get what we pay for.
Compare the graphs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_incarceration_timeline-clean.svg*
*
http://nyti.ms/cg9Kxv
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