CNN 2011-10-29

 The campaign season is heating up. We are hearing some candidates and law makers¹ talk about something called a flate tax. what is a flat tax?

 

Well, the US currently has something called a progressive income tax system, means the more money you make, the higher the government's income tax rate is. This is what those rates look like for a single person living on his or her own. The national average wage is aroung $41,000 a year, so you can see from this chart that this person's fedaral income taxes at that wage will be around 25%.

 

A flat tax will make just one income tax rate that everyone pays, not matter no matter how much or how little they earn. So one of the pros² here, it's simpler, would make taxes a lot easier to figure out. Also, the proposals we've heard about are lower than 25% that every wage bracket, so many Americans would pay less in government incomes assesses. Business would pay less tax too, so people are getting bigger pay checks and spending more money; and businesses are making more money and hiring more workers. In theory, the economy would grow.

 

The cons³ of flat tax, it's risky⁴. With many Americans paying less in incomes assesses, the government would take in less money at first, so that could increase government debt. It would also be challenging for the Congress to decide what the flat tax rate would be, 9%, 15%. 20%. Big debate there. And, because law makers don't want taxes to go up on Americans with lower incomes, there would also be a debate on who gets tax breaks to help them out.

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 pros   

abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 cons   

n.欺骗，骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗，哄骗( con的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。