Why doesn't Congress raise the taxes on those making $170K a year rather than those over $250K ?

Well if you think of all of the family's of four of five(2 or 3 children) or larger, which amounts to a lot of family's. Less than 250k isn't wealthy. You have to think,the average cost of raising kid is more than 250,000. And that doesn't include college tuition, automobiles, car insurance, family vacations, presents for the child, etc. Everything is this average including clothing is bare minimum so really people with family's of 2 or more children are far from wealthy if they make less than 250k a year. Someone who makes 250k or less will probably spend more than twice that on a child they raise because this average looks primarily at middle class American's who make 100k or less.

It's not just because of the congress's pay checks on this one. And even most of them have family's as well. How much do you think an education at Harvard costs?

Why not do what would really be right and eliminate the graduated income tax for one of two alternatives--a flat tax to be paid by all who have an income, or a value added tax on money spent?

The only downside is that a lot of people who work for the IRS would be out of a job. Many of them are nice people, and I would hope they could easily find employment during the economic boom that would be certain to follow elimination of this punitive graduated tax code that even most IRS workers don't understand.

Its the way political solutions work. Get the most money by taxing the fewest people. Hand out some to buy votes and who cares if your victims don't like it there is not enough of them to change an election result.

There is no logical system of morality capable of justifying this theft. Sure there are plenty of rationalizations but they all boil down to one person deciding to take property from one citizen and give it to another, its no accident the losers are always smallest minority (fewest voters).

It is also no accident that the end result is more power for the politicians.

Whatever they pass will have no bearing on them. Will not affect their income or retirement. It's like thinking Pelosi has our best interest at heart when she spends at least 3/4 million a week of tax payer money just to go from D.C. to San Francisco EVERY week.

How about every wage earner from 30k and up paying their fare share and foregoing the handout of the earned income tax credit

Most members of Congress earn more than their salaries, but they're notorious for writing laws that don't apply to themselves.

It's because the median US income is ~$54,000, giving the average two-earner family an income of $108,000.....roughly two-and-a-half times that is a number common sense suggests it is very difficult to ethically debate is not "rich"...

If you think Congress are overpaid, lazy and/or stupid, then why not run for office yourself? Since you are so much smarter and more ethical than them, surely you would win in a breeze?

They already raised taxes for everybody in Obamacare. 0 to infinity.

By the time all is said and done, that number will be far lower than your number.

So, you want more taxes?