i should point out that my book that isn't going to be coming out for a while is with joe slimroid. the question is, should taxes go up on the rich. they are going to have to go up on everybody. they are at their lowest level since 1950. that was before the high wway system and scores of others relay rely on. we have promise d that medicaid which payed for half of nursing home care and the population is aging. the demands on the federal government are going to be unprecedented incoming years it would be absurd to argue that the wealthy shouldn't pay more. and as joe pointed out, there is no we've got two economists on this panel and xhikts doesn't tell us what the right level of progressivity is. it becomes a trade off between efficiency and progressivity but the thing that is left out, how do you value the well being at the people at the top compared to the people at the middle and the bottom. polls show that most people favor the idea of a progressive tax system. recent polls think that high income people should pay a larger share. in terms of what the right elevl is, it is not ab