As America digs itself deeper into a financial hole, Congress and states are using a venerable political ploy to justify even more spending: increasing taxes on the wealthy and big companies ostensibly to help those with less. That ploy may have worked in the early 1900s when big bosses often were so-called robber barons. Today, however, even people at the bottom of the economic ladder realize wealthy individuals help fuel the nation’s economic development in important ways.

The U.S. is a democracy, but wealthy individuals faced with confiscatory taxes can easily vote with their feet by moving their operations and themselves to other states or countries. It is easier than most people think, as demonstrated by the recent trend of corporations moving headquarters to Switzerland to avoid multiple taxation on income.

Many construction executives participating in ENR’s construction confidence survey complain about President Obama’s proposed plan to increase taxes on the wealthy and companies to pay for the economic stimulus, health-care reform and pet projects. Enough is enough, they say. “Obama wants to cut open the golden goose to see if there are any more eggs left,” one says.

联邦债务现在已经超过了11.6万亿美元，拥有美元储备和投资的国家很紧张。此外，根据陷入困境的资产救济计划的监察长向房屋交付的估计，联邦经济刺激计划，公司的救助和其他担保可能会使纳税人高达23.7万亿美元。

这与习惯于平衡书籍的人相处得不好。他们也对所谓的死亡税的复活感到不满意。埋葬在奥巴马总统的联邦预算中是一项将联邦遗产税保持在2009年级的项目，而不是在当前立法中要求2010年的税收失误。这是历史上最大的税收加息之一。已经缴纳收入税的人的遗产可以征税高达45％。税收仅适用于有限数量的人，这一事实并不能帮助试图保护建筑公司，农场或其他业务的家庭。

最后，“富人”到底是什么意思？当收入和其他资产被多个司法管辖区一遍又一遍地征税时，财富随着积累和投资的动机而迅速蒸发。当您必须将其中的大部分交给政府时，加入不幸的人会更容易。那对经济无济于事。