re: Flaws in the American Political System Open thread

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1/ Payroll withholding. Eliminate it and make people write checks for what they pay. More transparent.

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More transparent? Look at your paystubb. Its got the numbers you're looking for on it. I'm not really sure what could be more transparent than telling you exactly what is withheld down to the penny in the same document that your check comes in (or that acts as a receipt for direct deposit. You aren't asking for more transparency - you're asking for more paperwork.

By your logic, checks themselves aren't 'transparent' - employers should pay everyone their entire paycheck in pennies, that way its more 'transparent' because the employees will have a more tangible feeling of their earnings.

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1/ Payroll withholding. Eliminate it and make people write checks for what they pay. More transparent.

2/ unequal taxation. Incentivizes "the poor" to vote themselves more money. If we are all equal citizens, we should pay the same tax.

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I am on the left side, and fully agree with #1. The problem is that most people I know blow their whole paycheck and couldn't write a $2000 check or whatever.

I disagree with #2, in that most people ask for free stuff and vote that way. The poor are actually quite bad about getting it. Rich people are really good at getting free stuff, and old people are even better at it.

I think the big problem is money in the system. And there is an easy solution, all donations must be anonymous. Instead of giving to someone and have them change their stance to meet your requirement, aka bribery. Give to the person that espouses your POV. Voting used to be public and people said it would break if we made it anonymous, and now its a cornerstone of our democracy.