Prioritizing government spending.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

...It's because the rich beneift from society's institutions more than any other class, ergo, they should pay more.

How so? Same infrastructure etc. I often hear this mantra repeated, but never explained.

Marginal utility argument is a better one by far.

[jabarto]

How so? Same infrastructure etc. I often hear this mantra repeated, but never explained.

Marginal utility argument is a better one by far.

Education is the big one; employers wouldn't be very successful if their employees aren't educated on the public's dime. There are other points but to be honest I'm not on my home computer right now and can't look at my notes on the topic. Maybe in a day or two.

[Tellos Athenaios]

A point is that if you talk about your basic infrastructure: the rich tend to use, quite literally, more of it. (More water, more electricity, more tarmac, more real estate.)
And before you say “but I thought I paid the water/electricity/gas company a monthly fee” consider that often enough not all costs are amortized and charged to the customer in that fashion. (The running cost of power grids is amortized per customer; not per watt AFAIK.)

[drone]

A point is that if you talk about your basic infrastructure: the rich tend to use, quite literally, more of it. (More water, more electricity, more tarmac, more real estate.)
And before you say "but I thought I paid the water/electricity/gas company a monthly fee" consider that often enough not all costs are amortized and charged to the customer in that fashion. (The running cost of power grids is amortized per customer; not per watt AFAIK.)

In the US, your examples of infrastructure are not generally paid for through federal income taxes. Water is supplied by a local/county controlled concern in urban/suburban areas, in rural areas it is generally well-water which is the responsibility of the consumer (as well as the septic field). Electricity is paid for by the kwh, so increased usage is dealt with. Most utilities tack on usage taxes (either state or federal) to the bill, but the federal government does not run the infrastructure, it generally just regulates it. Tarmac is paid for through gasoline taxes, if you use more you pay more. Real estate is also taxed at the local/county level.