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“So, when Rush Limbaugh and others claim that 50% of the country don’t pay taxes (referring to income taxes only), that is misleading.”

His statement is not misleading. Federal income taxes are the largest source of revenue for the federal government. Almost 50 percent pay no federal income tax with a large part of this group receiving tax welfare (refundable tax credits). This group is the SS winners, whose payroll taxes are small, yet SS benefits are relatively large. SS has a progressive benefit structure in which low paid workers receive benefits similar to higher paid workers. A major part of our debt problem is tax freeloanding. Refundable tax credits should be time and amount limited. All welfare should be time and amount limited except for truly disabled.

Are you a tax freeloader? I find individuals defending tax freeloaders are either committed leftists or receiving tax welfare themselves.

Are you a tax freeloader? I find individuals defending tax freeloaders are either committed leftists or receiving tax welfare themselves.Federal income taxes are the largest source of revenue for the federal government.

...followed VERY closely by SS payments. I have paid into SS benefits for 25 years, and have not received one dime of payout from it. I have never received the Earned Income Credit [which was conceived by Milton Friedman, not known for his leftism. He called it a Negative Income Tax) it would work better in isolation, without all of the other programs]

Rush's statement is misleading if SS contributions are in fact a tax (they are, as all involuntary contributions are taxes or fines).

It doesn't matter if some people make out (those who worked at low wages, and live to 110) and others don't (those who made just under the max taxable income, and die at 65). Just as a person with a high-income, but takes advantage of legal government deductions or incentives (e.g. ranching subsidies) is not free-loading unless the credits wipe out all of his payments, including SS.

Everything you stated had nothing to do with my main argument. One, SS/Medicare is a tax. Two, it is a regressive tax. The progressive benefit structure is irrelevant to my statement. The attitudes of people who pay it, or receive benefits from it, are irrelevant.

I am particularly struck by your attempting to label me as a tax-freeloader or a leftist because of your anecdotal observation of people you know. My record on FR shows otherwise.

Social security payments are a tax. PERIOD.

Those who pay them, even those who pay no federal income tax, are not freeloaders, even if they are leftists.

Fifteen percent is a sizeable chunk to pay from dollar one. Many of the folks who don't make enough to qualify for Fed income tax payments do have to pay state income taxes.

Frankly, I'd rather have a tax system similar to what we had before 1916, with NO income tax, and certainly no SS or Medicare. I do not consider the citizens of this country before that time to be freeloaders, and I do not consider them leftists.