On Baby Boomers with paid-off houses: it's admirable that you were responsible, worked hard, bought your house in the 80s or 90s, and paid it off. However, you made that deal when there were 100 million fewer people in this country. That population growth is part of what kept those house payments affordable for you over that period. We are now in a housing crisis; there are not enough rooms to go around. Many houses are underutilized, including yours. From a strictly utilitarian standpoint, the solution would be to increase taxes to reflect the real societal cost of your residence existing as it does; it would be your decision whether to pay the tax, subdivide the house to increase utilization, or sell. This is a form of austerity.

For the yuppies: 99% of the world can make due on less than half your income, in the same city you live in. Your costs are high because your tastes are expensive. A high tax would not ruin you. It would force you to make decisions, some of which might be difficult. Public school instead of private. A cheaper car, and fewer cars. Better-controlled discretionary spending on things such as entertainment, clothing, food. Full-throated support for single-payer healthcare. Your kid will still get a good education, because you are an involved parent. You will still be able to get where you need to, because you will have a working vehicle. You will be more intentional about how you enrich your lift. You will reap the benefits of dismantling America's broken healthcare system and replacing it with something at least as good as what the rest of the developed world can boast. This is also a form of austerity.

You do not solve this problem simply my making poor people's lives harder.