The thing about tax increases is that many of the tea party members know that they're the ones who get the shaft.
My wife and I are starting a new business next January. If our projections are correct, we could be making over $250k in 2013 between my normal job, my consulting work, and that (we're expecting ~$35k in revenue, $5k in costs in 2012, and I'm figuring about $125k / $25k in 2013). Now, if that all works out, I'd be inclined to hire some employees and quit my day job in 2014. But the $250k mark is where the democrats want to put the tax cutoff for the highest tax line. To be frank, I have been working 70-hour weeks or so to get my consulting done and start this business. I want to be rewarded for that work. But my reward is, congratulations, we're going to come in and steal more of your money.
Approximately 47% of Americans pay no taxes. If you want more revenue, fine - make the tax code fair. I guarantee you that the tea party would be happy with a flat, uniform tax rate, or a repeal of the income tax in favor of the Fair Tax (the federal ~18-20% sales tax).
But don't say that *I* have to start paying more taxes because I've been successful, while half of the country isn't paying anything. That isn't "fair," and the people who have no skin in the game (the people not paying taxes) are going to keep voting for the people who don't make them pay taxes, while continuing to raise the taxes of those paying taxes. It inhibits people from being able to move upward in social class, which is ironic, because the demagogues in Washington want to always make the lower classes envious of the higher classes.
It's disgusting.
