Have You Benefited?

Have you benefited from trickle-down economy?  If so, how? Less than 10% of all Americans actually received benefits from this economic policy that made their economic situations improve over the past thirty years.  How has lower tax rates for carried interest actually trickled down to make your life economically better?  In America, today, there are individuals who have received over a billion dollars in annual income and only had to pay a 15% federal income tax rate.  In addition, many of these individuals actually drew no salaries in the IRS sense of the word and therefore paid no payroll taxes.  Please tell me how this made your life better.  For too long, wealth and money has resulted in legislators writing tax legislation that benefits wealthy and corporate interests.  This legislation has resulted in massive income inequality and record federal government deficits.  At the same time as the very wealthy are benefiting from supply-side legislation they are funding propaganda machines blaming the costs of social safety nets for the deficit.  There is no historical evidence that can show that giving lower tax rates for income from capital gains, carried capital, or dividends produces any benefits to anyone other than those receiving the lower tax rates.  Every published study other than studies done by special interest organizations paid for by the recipients of lower tax rates shows that benefits are limited to a very few.  What this means is everyone else has to make up revenue shortfalls resulting from legislative favors for a few.  It is past time to insist on the elimination of special tax favors for both a few individuals as well as for corporations.  It is time for everyone to pay their fair share and reap the rewards of middle class growth again.