Simple.
When asked silly questions like "How would you re-do the tax code?" answer: Set the clock back to 1968, and index those rates for inflation.
Everything you need to know to buttress this position is given here:
http://taxpolicycenter.org/TaxFacts/tfdb/TFTemplate.cfm?topic2id=20with a couple of exceptions, maybe:
1. People had a higher share of the nation's wealth then.
2. People were, according to polls (see the "Affluenza" documentary- google it), happier.
Now, on to the numbers:
Here:
http://taxpolicycenter.org/TaxFacts/TFDB/TFTemplate.cfm?Docid=228is the "Historical Combined Income and Employee Tax Rates for a Family of Four."
Check out the 1968 row vs. the 2001 row.
Next check out:
http://taxpolicycenter.org/TaxFacts/TFDB/TFTemplate.cfm?Docid=263Notice the Corporate income taxes are 1/3 what they were in 1968! The lucky duckies!
Sooooo... all ya gotta do is raise corporate rates (and enforcement) back to reasonable levels, change the rates to a more progressive structure, and
a) you've got a budget much more in balance than *'s crappy lying sack of poop budget
b) most people get a tax cut.
Social security & medicare? Put that on the corporate tab.