Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
I just checked in and have no time today, and maybe this is not what you were discussing - but ending the estate tax will not help economic growth. Of all the taxes to cut this should be the last one on the agenda. The estate tax does not discourage productivity.
Trying to end the estate tax is stupid policy and stupid politics. Just like trying to end the minimum wage is stupid policy and stupid politics.
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Yeh, but you know this is more of a moral than economic argument. This issue touches the central difference between people who believe in social engineering via govt and people who believe that's not the govt's business.
Its like abortion - both sides of the issue have equally solid points. Putting economic arguments in favor or against the estate tax aside, it seems logical to ensure against concentration of wealth via the tax. Only problems with that are, (a) it doesn't reach that intended effect, thanks to savvy planners, and (b) there's an equally morally persuasive argument that the govt has no right to tax what's already been taxed one or more times or unilaterally hand out the wages of a person's life, particularly to an institution like our govt.
