Inequality In America? Hrumph! Certainly Not.

Well I just read an article in the National Review by Michael Tanner "The income inequality myth" . It suggests that there really isn't a broadening of inequality of income for several reasons. One is that because of some minor changes in tax rules, income that didn't used to get reported in now getting reported and on the other end, the reports supporting the idea of income inequality increases didn't include such things as food stamps, health care and other social remedies. Now of course the National Review is a very conservative report. But even considering that fact, how do they get information that wealthy people didn't used to report some income? That would be against the law. I Think it's called tax evasion, isn't it? Do you think that when the questionnaire went out, people responded that, yes, they had previously under reported on income? Did these folks sign their names to the questionnaire? And if they were willing to cheat on their taxes in the past, should we believe that now that the tax rate is slightly lower, they don't cheat any more? Exactly at what point did they make this decision? If the tax had been one dollar more, would they have cheated again? How about two dollars? Because that would be good information for the IRS. The second item of proof for not believing in income inequality is the Food Stamp statement. Apparently there were no food stamps a decade ago. No employee health care then either. Ya wanna know what I think? I think that income is being reported now that wasn't previously reported because it's income not being earned before. That and if there are more food stamps now, it's because most people's effective income is lower now. That, and companies used to pay most or all of health care costs, but don't anymore. You can poke more holes in Mr. Tanner's opinion than there are in a screen door. I don't mean to be a wisenheimer, but Mr. Tanner needs to find some new excuses for inequality or switch sides. On Second thought, we're fine with him right where he is.