> I said the taxes aren't raised because rich people don't want them raised.

no one wants taxes to raise. poor, middle, rich, you name it. because it just means less money at the end of the month.

I think the current taxes in the US are too regressive, and I'm not alone. Warren Buffett famously pointed out his total tax rate was 17.7%, while the average tax rate for people in his office was 32.9%.

If my taxes go up 1% while those making $1M+/year go up by 10%, in order to get improved sewage treatment systems and more, then I'm all for it.

While rich people tend to use their free time for something beside going to the local English beach for a swim.

Universal single-payer health care is cheaper and with better overall health benefits than the current US system has. I would gladly pay higher taxes than pay for my own health insurance as it means more money at the end of the month.

How much money should you get at the end of the month for letting the water be more polluted with untreated sewage?

If rich people have more say, I'm surprised more municipalities aren't using flat or regressive taxes.

You think they aren't?

Promoting single-family homes, prohibiting detached housing, zoning laws that require parking and minimum lawn sizes, etc. all drive up the cost of housing for people who don't have as much money.

It's also cheaper to maintain infrastructure (streets, water, sewer, etc.) in older more densely packed (and also less expensive / poorer) neighborhoods than in more expansive suburbia. As https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/7/the-more-we-bui... puts it "The poorest neighborhoods are, in essence, subsidizing the rich ones."