Graphs on Taxes

        This graph shows the amount that each income group pays in taxes. As you would expect, as income increases taxes increase, but then at the 80-90% group, taxes fall. This means that the 80-90% richest people in the world pay the same amount as the people in the 40-60% range. Then taxes fall again for the 90-95% richest people, and the top .1% riches people in the world pay even less!



       The real expenditures of the United States is shown in this picture. Major entitlements is the biggest percentage of where our tax dollars go, and most of that money goes to people that are too lazy to go out and work because they can just collect unemployment; many other benefits the government hands out. There are people that really need government assistance, but it is being abused in many more cases. The government needs to watch where the money is going more closely or stop giving it out.



        This is a perfect example of why taxes on the middle class are increasing. The corporate income tax has fallen over the years because of government sponsored subsidies and tax breaks for big businesses. The payroll taxes have increased, but businesses have been cutting back wages disproportionally over years. The cost of living in 1950 compared to the minimum wage was more proportional than it is now. Today it is almost impossible to live on minimum wage.

Short Comic

Link to Comic
https://docs.google.com/document/d/154FJZWKmDMmILYwu8-lbzAdcnhzq1jMYHE43KlvxRGw/edit

        This comic is about a young kid who just got his first paycheck. He goes to the bank to cash it and learns a little about taxes. He discovers that taxes are not fair for all social classes and does not think that is fair. He supports tax reform and wants to help promote tax reform, so he starts an online petition. This comic talks about taxes, but comes at it from a different, never seen before angle.

A Call to Action

http://animoto.com/play/qxSN4Y2wV4iiPVBAx0SUDw

        This short clip was made using Animoto.com and it is meant to bring a call to action. This video is shows the main problem with taxes and what needs to be done to stop the problem, tax reform.

Memes

        These memes represent the views many Americans have towards taxes and the United States tax system. The government spends too much tax money on unnecessary government run programs and the current tax system is unfair. Some of these memes I created and some are taken from the sources listed below.

Sources of memes:
frontpagemag.com
quickmeme.com
global3.memecdn.com
memegenerator.net
azcancerheroes.com

Clothing Possibilities

        These t shirts would allow people to express themselves without saying anything. Americans that support tax reform can see how many other people have the same views. With these t shirts, people can group together and support tax reform to make a difference in the United States.

Fiction Book Assignment

        The book "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins is about a future society where there is an all powerful Capitol and less powerful Districts. The Capitol controls all the money and power while the Districts have to pay the Capitol by producing certain products. This book is a perfect example of what the United States might turn into if there is not tax reform. In the United States tax system the rich are paying less and less while the middle class pays more to make up for the shortages. If this cycle continues, the United States will likely turn into a country similar to the one depicted in the book "The Hunger Games", where there is one group of people that have complete control. The book reveals a very severe case of social inequality, but this is important because it shows what could happen without reform. It is very possible that one group of people, the rich, will eventually have total control because of the amount of money they have. It may not be as bad as "The Hunger Games" depicts, but something close will likely occur without some changes in tax policy.

        What if? That is the question that scares every American in some way. What if my house burns down? What if I lose my job? But the most important what if is the one many people overlook, what if taxes spiral out of control? Taxes are on every body's minds, people know that tax rates are rising, but do they know why. The government has increased its spending and, even with tax hikes, cannot keep up with the growing debt of the Untied States. The book "The Hunger Games" explores a type of world that is unlike any reality. The book depicts a society where the rich control everyone and everything. That lifestyle may not be as far fetched as people use to think. Over the years taxes have been rising on everyone, except the rich. While the blue-collar Americans have had to cut back on spending the rich have been receiving huge government paid subsides and tax deductions. If the tax system continues to make the rich richer and middle class poorer then a society like "The Hunger Games" may be in the United States' close future.

Annotated Bibliography

        "The Hunger Games" depicts a society where the richest of people have complete control over all of the working class people. This story is about a lot more than that, but I am only going to focus on societal inequality. In the book there are 12 Districts which are controlled by the Capitol, where the richest people live. All the Districts have a certain job to do, each District gives necessary products to the Capitol. The Districts are very poor communities where people are starving and die often. The Capitol is very luxurious and everyone has plenty of food. The social inequality depicted in this book is substantial, but it is important because it shows an extreme case of what could happen if something in the United States tax system doesn't change. This book would help my research by giving an example of what could happen to the United States without tax reform. Using this text, my project will grab peoples attention because of how shocking a society like "The Hunger Games" sounds. This book grasps the main idea of my research and makes people realize the impact tax reform has on the future.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Mid-Research Review Paper

        Taxes have been a problem for many people for years, and the problem is getting worse. Americans have been angry about tax rates ever since taxation began, but today tax rates are sky rocketing and it has to be stopped. Over the past few weeks I have been researching and finding a lot of interesting information on the current tax system. The articles, book, and films I have come across all convey the same central message, the current tax system should be changed. Although all these sources have different views on how this should be done, they all believe something needs to change. This project has been focused on the inequality of tax rates, in other words, the difference in tax rates the middle class and poor pay compared to the rich.
        Many people ask the question "why are my taxes so high?", this is exactly what I have been researching. Throughout my research I have found countless sources on how the current tax system should be changed. All of these sources start off by giving an overview of how the current tax system works, then go into what they think should be done. Another important part of this project is where all the tax dollars go, that is why we are paying so much. I found some articles about government spending and they gave me a pretty good idea of what tax dollars are spent on. Certain taxes go to certain things: local property taxes pay for schools, gas tax pays for maintaining roadways, income tax pays for most of the military's expenses, etc. This project has incorporated information about where our tax dollars go, what is being taxed, and who is paying more. Together, those will this project explore why tax rates in the United States are so unfair.
        The pieces of information found so far have all had the same main idea. They all look at government spending, types of taxes, and who is being taxed more. By doing this the sources point to an answer for the big tax problem. All of the sources of information I have used in this project talk about some sort of problem with the current tax system. The authors and producers have their own view on how the tax system should be changed, but they agree that something is wrong. Another similarity between sources is they follow the same pattern. These articles, books, and films begin by giving an overview of the United States tax system, who is paying what. Then go on to talk about some types of taxes: income, estate, local, property, etc. Finally they end by trying to find solutions to the problem. The sources in this project go over the same material in the same order, but each one gives its own twist on what should be done.
        In the future, this project will find more information on where our tax dollars go. Government spending has been talked about seldom in the past and it is quite an important part of the topic. Aside from government spending, I plan to find more sources that add and confirm information that has been given thus far. Finding sources that agree with my views will give my project more credibility, making it even better. Further into this project I may add some sources that think the current tax system should not be changed in order to make the project sound a little less bias. Doing this will allow the reader to agree with whichever view they choose. Continuing with this project, I do not plan on changing the direction of the topic. Although I will find sources to add to this project, it will still be focused on the inequality of tax rates between the middle class and poor compared to the rich.
        Throughout this project I have found many articles, books, and films that believe the current tax system should be changed due to unfair tax rates. The sources that I have found all share a similar view about the tax system and have their own way of how it should be changed. For the most part the sources also follow the same order of how the information is presented. First, they explain the current tax system, then they give their own view on how it should be changed. In the future, more sources will be found that extrapolate on the same type of information already given in the project. Government spending, what is taxed, and who is taxed are the most important things to look at when trying to figure out why taxes are unfair. The information that has been, and will be, found helps answer the question "why are taxes so unfair?" through interviews with experts and the explanation of tax laws and government spending.