[trollbridge]

The 28% included payroll taxes, sales tax, property tax and so forth. If you don’t include those, it’s closer to 60%.

Someone with 3 kids earning $26k gets about $10,000 in cash back per year (wiping out $2k in payroll taxes) and $12k of food stamps. Assuming they spend 100% of their cash on either taxable items with 8% sales tax or rent with comparable property tax, that’s still net minus -$5,280.

If we include food stamps and the value of Medicaid at $500 per head per month it’s net minus -$40k. And that doesn’t include things like housing assistance and energy assistance.

Such a person DOES pay gross taxes… they just don’t owe on net.

[UncleMeat]

Somebody with three kids earning 26k is in extreme poverty. If them being a net receiver of government funds is considered a bad thing.... Christ.

[Ferret7446]

Is it not a bad thing in the general case? People who produce net positive value for society subsidize the unsustainable reproduction of those who are a net drain. It is a very sterile perspective, but reality doesn't care about empathy, and you can't feed people with good feelings.

[trollbridge]

Did anyone say it’s a bad thing? About 15-18% earn at that threshold of under.

With the assistance, though, the amount of net is about the same as someone earning $80k-$100k but gets no assistance at all.

[UncleMeat]

This sounds like you are saying it is a bad thing.