# Why wouldn't this work? (Change in US tax law)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wouldnt-this-work-change-in-us-tax-law/529405>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 17, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wouldnt-this-work-change-in-us-tax-law/529405 "2010-02-17T22:46:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wouldnt-this-work-change-in-us-tax-law/529405/21 "2010-02-18T23:00:41Z")

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> [@Wilbo523](#):
>
> If you could win the election and guarantee a flat tax system of say 15%…I would vote for you.
> 
> However, arbitrarily mandating pay increases, and the manner in which people are paid should be off limits, and left to the market to decide. This should not be the function of government. Tax policy should be about raising the necessary funds to run the government, not driving other social policies.

My goal would be to raise the necessary money to fund government, at the most affordable and sustainable rate. That would be it. Period.

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**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wouldnt-this-work-change-in-us-tax-law/529405/22 "2010-02-19T03:17:37Z")

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> [@Wilbo523](#):
>
> Your second paragraph is not a flat tax.

At the risk of a whoosh, the second paragraph explicitly highlighted a problem with progressive taxation under this system, not with a flat tax.

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