Income tax in the United States

Bob Inglis is out of Congress now, but he’s still a committed conservative. Unlike many of his brethren, however, he’s ready to tackle climate change. And he says Republicans, conservatives, are in the perfect position to engage on the issue and lead solutions to deal with it.

French President Francois Hollande has called for a 75 percent income tax on top earners in France to help lower the country’s deficit. The hope is to stave off contagion from other faltering euro zone countries, but the proposal has received harsh criticism from France’s business class.

As American political leaders debate ways to cut taxes, in Canada there’s a different effort underway. A group of wealthy doctors are among a growing group of people calling for increased taxes on the top 10 percent of income earners as a way to fund Canadian programs and infrastructure.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner made what some have called an outrageous claim about the roles of American citizens and their government, in calling for the most fortunate Americans to bear the burden of the privilege of being an American by paying higher taxes. Is it a privilege to be an American? And if so … what does that privilege cost?

A strategy to increase tax revenue is a cap on the rate that high-income taxpayers can use to claim charitable deductions, worrying some non-profits.