I would like to ask Ms. Hartmann and Ms. Kijazaki why there hasn't been more discussion of using general revenues to fund greater Medicaid and Social Security benefits? Isn't it clear that the present payroll tax structure is too regressive? Why has finaning increased benefits only focused on payroll tax increases which is certainly not a popular option? In the fifties and sixties income taxes were far more progressive than they are today and corporations certainly paid more too. Why do payroll taxes have to be the only revenue stream that seems to be mentioned? After all the wealthy in our society cannot complain about being unfairly treated in comparision to their compatriots in the other advanced industrial nations.
