Taxes and Bailouts

The bailout of the financial industry is a great example of why we need to have progressive taxation where the top of the income food chain pays the most. In this age of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, we are quickly moving to a non-progressive tax system. The middle class is being asked to shoulder the bulk of our government while the wealthy take huge risks just to be bailed out by us, the middle class. This is what is referred to as "Private Profit, Public Risk". Don't let them dazzle you with the BS of the "Free Market", there is no free market nor should there be. Markets need regulation and unbiased institutions to keep them honest so that people feel confident enough to invest in them and have a place to go if they are ripped off. And now, a program to bail them out when they fail. These are the jobs of government and the wealthy should shoulder the costs. Think about the bank teller who's job may be saved or the consumer who can now get a car loan, they both benefit from bank bailouts. Now compare their 'benefits' to that of the CEO, CIO, Controller, major stockholders etc who are bailed out - they get Millions! Should the consumer and teller pay the same percentage in taxes? Should we be sticking with the Bush tax cuts where the top 1% got the biggest cuts? Or, should we go back to the tax rates under Reagan, Bush Sr., and Clinton? The top payed 34-35% and the capital gains and inheritance taxes were higher. The Republicans like to say that taxes are always bad and hurt the economy, but tax cuts don't seem to be doing much now, except padding the pockets of the wealthiest.