I was reading the well known Armchair Economist this past weekend and wanted to pose a question discussed in the book.

Given a two person town where both people have equal access to a well. Person A makes $10,000/yr and is taxed $1000/yr for use of the well (10% taxation). Person B makes $100,000/yr and is taxed $5000/yr for use of the well (5% taxation). Is this taxation policy unfair and if so, who is it unfair to? Please also include your political leaning.


The purpose of this question is to see how people define what is fair and how it correlates to their political views. There is no objectively correct answer but in politics, there seems to be a refusal to recognize the validity of different ethical frameworks. Every issue is framed as right or wrong, and honest discussion of pros/cons takes a backseat.