What's the Estate Tax Supposed to Do, Anyway?

The estate tax should accomplish two things: Wealth is power and the accumulati­on of wealth among a few wealthy families is dangerous for our democracy. The estate tax has been imposed in this country many times in the past. It was used to finance wars. At time when our government is fighting two wars, neither of them paid for during the Bush administra­tion, the estate tax could be, maybe should be, dedicated to fighting those wars. I have to ask, "Why should transferri­ng huge estates to heirs who have done nothing to earn the money not be taxed while people who are working for a living are expected to pay taxes on their salaries and wages?" The American people have been spoiled with income tax cuts. The Bush tax cuts gave the largest dollar amounts of tax cuts to the well to do. The Republican­s have fretted over raising their taxes by 3.6% of their income. They would go to the wall to protect the well to do from paying 3.6 cents more per dollar on their after tax income, and they cry their eyes out about estate taxes as our country goes deeper and deeper in debt. They cry about deficit spending, but refuse to accept the fact that the rich are not paying their share. Since most wealthy estates hold stocks that have appreciate­d and have never been taxed why shouldn't those estates be taxed? The Waltons have never paid taxes on their capital gains.
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