"What should be done about income inequality?" The only thing the government should do about income inequality is ensure equal opportunity and not discriminate.

Other than that, its up to the individual. We're free to be lazy or free to work hard, take risks and climb up the income ladder.

What should be done about the title of this article? Subject-Verb agreement.

Of course, Democrats will look at these same numbers and say something like, "The answer is obvious. We need to increase transfer payments to the poor." That is, leave alone the bribes paid to the elderly and other relatively well-to-do (so Democrats can get their votes) and increase the bribes paid to the poor (so the Democrats can get their votes). Unfortunately, the political logic is perfectly sound.

The fallacy of the comments concerning the tranfer payments by the young to the wealthy old and calling it an entitlement is that the old paid for the payments received over many many years. These old people were not supporting earlier recipients since the program was started during their full working years. The politicians transfered these payments to the general fund and spent it all. Now the old are said to be receiving funds transferred from the young as entitlement. The inferance is that they are getting welfare from the young. Nothing could be further from the truth. This part of the so-called political logic is not sound or accurate.

Social Security is already hyper-progressive.

A retiring low income earner will receive back everything that they have paid in within about five years, and then continue to receive payments.

A retired upper middle class worker may have to live into his eighties or even nineties to receive what he has paid in. Why? If you are upper middle class and in your fifties or older, typically only 15% of your "contributions" count towards your "account". Apparently, an effective tax rate of 85% isn't progressive enough. The push to reduce payments to higher income earners is more Progressive slavery.

This debate about income inequity isn't a debate about equality, liberty and the individual rights of a free people. This is clearly a debate not on the level of income equity but on the level of the transformation from free market capitalism to tryranical socialism.

There is lots of talk these days about the shame of income inequity. The progressives/socialists are saying that those who earn a good income should be willing to share with those who don't.

Well, since I believe in sharing I want to start another movement which I think is more realistic and fair. It is called WORK INEQUITY and it applies to those who do not work enough to pay for what they consume! These are the ones who can't seem to find and hold a job and live off the rest of us using the various state/federal government programs. Their laziness provides room for the illegals all over the country, taking the jobs that our own people can't seem to find and perform, many under the table where no income tax is collected. We should insist that ablebodied people get out of bed every morning and WORK for their living.

JD:

I disagree. Old people on Social Security and Medicare certainly are receiving entitlements from the young. You admit yourself that the money old people paid for SS went into the general fund and has already been spent. The politicians already spent that money and now they are transferring money from young workers and giving it to old people today. It is inter-generational theft. And the fact that old people were lied to and told that they were paying into a trust fund doesn't make it any less so. The only way to stop the lies is to get rid of the programs. We either stop the programs or go bankrupt.

Sorry, but the hard truth is that the vast majority of Social Security recipients who live more than 5 years after beginning to draw payments get far more out than they ever paid in. What your employer paid didn't come from you (though it might have cost you in terms of lower pay than you might otherwise have received, something politicians don't talk about). You can kid yourself that you "paid for" what you're getting out, but it just ain't so. You're on old-folks Welfare.

Dear tax-eating parasitic government employee, pay me back MY money that you have taken and forced my employer to take from me in the form of social security TAX, medicare TAX, and medicaid TAX and then leave me alone. In return, I'll actually pay my own doctor, take care of myself, and if there's anything left I'll give it to my family when I die. If I run out of MY money first, then I'll just make do or die. But you won't make that deal, will you? You can't stand it if you aren't jamming yourself into MY life and MY earnings and telling me it's for MY own good that you're giving MY earnings to yourself and others who haven't earned it.

Leave me alone.

Let me live my life in peace with the things I'VE earned.

Why lump Social Security in with Medicare and Food Stamps?! It's NOT a "free" hand out! Social Security is paid in from your very first job and continues till you are no longer able to work! That's what is supposed to support the current S.S.recipients. Then in turn, the next generation of S.Security people. Maybe SOME seniors have become more affluent, but don't delude yourself into thinking there are no struggling seniors out there! THEY MAY HAVE STRUGGLED ALL THEIR LIVES TO MAKE ENDS MEET, AND NOW STRUGGLE EVEN MORE ON SO MUCH LESS NOW THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO WORK, with inflation added in! Some people never have been in this position, and have no idea what that is like! Apparently you seem to be one of those. I hope not...

How about this. Let's stop this time consuming debate on income distribution. The facts about Social Security and the spending of SS funds are clear enough. I'm still trying to find "redistribution" in my copy of the Constitution.The parasitic misfits in the 'occupy' gang want this discussion as a means to promote socialism. 'Nuf said.

Back in the days when I worked as a grocery clerk I resented most of the people paying for their groceries with food stamps. I knew many of the personally. The worked under the table, especially in construction, and made more than I, sometimes two to three times as much, per year. They paid no taxes, were given food stamps, "government cheese", their kids were fed school lunches - most of which they threw in the trash, they were covered under state health insurance, and while I was going to the local dental school for my cleanings they were getting free cleanings, extractions, and fillings.

With a little bit of luck and the Grace of God, one of these days we'll read of an 'expert' including the cost of all that as part of income in their analysis. I know I had to earn it before I could pay it.