Michael McKelvy wrote:
"Kurt Albershardt" wrote in message
...

Michael McKelvy wrote:

The GOP (still not my party) is more inclined to leave people
free to earn a living and raise themselves up through hard work.

So why eliminate the estate tax? Damn near impossible to raise oneself up
through hard work if most of the wealth is controlled by a few
dyansties...


Firstly because the government doesn't have any legitimate claim on it.

Our Founders fought a revolution to throw off an aristocracy. The estate tax was instituted to try and slow down the formation of an American aristocracy after the robber baron era.


Secondly it hurts families that may be considered wealthy by the government
and really aren't.

Raise the exemption limit for the estate tax (to something like $2-3 million) and that argument falls flat (along with the samll business support base.)



Lastly because money in private hands does more good
than in government hands.

An arguable statement--but even if true, that money should be in many hardworking hands and not so overwhelmingly in those of the decendants of a few families.