In 1980, according to the Tax Foundation, citing IRS data, the income share going to the top 1% was 8.46%. In 2011, it rose to 18.7%. But during that same period, percentage of federal income tax paid by the top 1% rose from 19.05% to 35.06%.

That means that the share the rest of us paid went from just over 80% in 1980 to a little less than 65% in 2011. Sooner or later there will be a study that suggests that if we want to significantly reduce the share of income going to the rich, the share of taxes paid by them will be reduced as well. That means the share paid by the rest of us will have to rise. Once this analysis reaches the public, the showbiz economists from the left will spare no effort to slime the authors of this daring study.

Dave Kennamer

Heber City, Utah