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Americans want fair taxes even if it is bad for the economy
Americans want fair taxes even if it is bad for the economy
Tax fairness is big on the mind of Americans, according to a survey by WalletHub.com. - photo by Philip Taylor, 'PT Money' ptmoney.com
Michael De Groote
Deseret News National
Updated: Jun 14, 2014, 2:00 PM
Published: Jun 13, 2014, 3:47 PM

The pain of the tax season is beginning to fade a little, but was that pain fair? A new survey by personal finance website WalletHub.com finds that many Americans think the tax code needs an injection of fairness — regardless of whether it hurts the economy.

Just how important is tax fairness to Americans? WalletHub's Tax Fairness Survey found that Americans think "tax fairness (61.23 percent) and tax equality (20.81 percent) are more important than whatever is best for the economy (17.96 percent)."
But the idea of fairness doesn't mean Americans don't want some to pay more. The survey found that 65.1 percent want corporations to face higher tax rates than consumers.

WalletHub asked several economists if they thought taxing corporations was a good idea. "Probably not," said Richard Beck at New York Law School. "Economists disagree about who actually pays the corporate tax, but it is clear that at least some of it is passed through to consumers in the form of higher prices. Better to do it directly with a sales tax instead. Also, corporations that aren't profitable don't have to pay the tax. That subsidizes losing businesses."

The survey also found that 90 percent of Americans "believe income from investments should be taxed at least as much as wages."
J.D. Hayworth, host of "America's Forum" on Newsmax, spoke with WalletHub.com CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou and balked that so many Americans think investments should be taxed at the same rate as (or higher than) wages.

"Presumably, with someone who doesn't have savings or investment, they think, 'Oh, well, we'll make it equal and tax it across the board,' not understanding the importance of having investments for old age, etc., taxed at a level that is not the same as wages." Hayworth said, assuming the result was possibly because the poll interviewed a demographic with less wealth.

Papadimitriou said he was surprised that this belief actually held true across the socio-economic levels. "The higher income folks are not saying, 'No that is not fair.' They are actually in agreement as well that wages should be taxed at the same rate as investment."

WalletHub also asked experts what they thought about equalizing taxes on investments and wages. Robert G. Nassau at Syracuse University said, "I believe that ALL income should be taxed at the same rate. Money is money."

The survey showed that a large majority (80 percent) thought the code was complex, but there was little support (24.31 percent) for a flat tax — a proposal often put forth to make the tax code simple and more fair.

Many Americans had one way they wanted to simplify the tax code, according to the survey: "More than 40 percent of respondents (44.2 percent) believe the fairest possible tax code would have fewer deductions than today."

Email: mdegroote@deseretnews.comTwitter: @degroote
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.