I'd say judging from this page
Tax Brackets (Federal Income Tax Rates) 2000 through 2009 and 2010 the rich are being taxed quite enough already.
I think it would be much better to stop coddling adults and not ever allow unemployment benefits to extend past the already ridiculous extension. As soon as that stops, I guarantee some people will get to gettin' and find a job - ANY job.
I ponder about the money in taxes we are losing thanks to those that are working under the table and collecting benefits for two fecking years. Or those that could be working but choose to sponge instead? Or those that refuse to take a job for less than previous? For fun, let's throw a number out there, a very small percentage of people. Say 500,000.
Now let's take this for example:
If the average weekly benefit is ~ $300, then people are living off ~ $16,000/yr. If only a half million people (very small percentage of the unemployed) would just accept minimum wage jobs, they'd make the same money and add a
Billion dollars into federal taxes. Not to mention save them
8 Billion dollars in payouts. So, a half million people could save us 8 Billion and generate 1 Billion. For the Gov to make up that 9 Billion dollars, you'd need 260,500 Millionaires, or 250 Billionaires to be returned to 2002 tax rate. Why should those rich be taxed even more when 500,000 people could step up to the plate and take the burden off themselves as well as us?
And please, don't come back with a bunch of BS about who I must listen to on the radio / TV. All that thought and math came from my very own mind and calculator.