--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that something is fundamentally…" description: "\"I think that something is fundamentally wrong if a person of his great wealth is only paying 13.9 percent effective tax rate and most of Americans are ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg" --- # I think that something is fundamentally wrong if a person… ![“I think that something is fundamentally wrong if a person of his great wealth is only paying 13.9 percent effective tax rate and most of Americans are paying 28, 30 percent and they make far less.” quote by Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg) > “I think that something is fundamentally wrong if a person of his great wealth is only paying 13.9 percent effective tax rate and most of Americans are paying 28, 30 percent and they make far less.” [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights perceived unfairness in tax burden where very wealthy pay lower effective rates than average citizens. **In simple terms:** Rich pay less tax than most people. Key Takeaway Advocate for progressive tax reform. Themes tax fairness income inequality public policy Mood concerned critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy debate - tax reform proposals - public advocacy - media commentary Key Concepts progressive taxation wealth disparity fiscal justice Questions to Reflect On - How should tax policy balance equity and economic growth? - What reforms could close the gap without harming investment? A Different Perspective Effective tax rates can be influenced by deductions and loopholes, complicating simple comparisons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [Americans Paying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-paying-811898/) [Effective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective/) [Effective Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-tax-970581/) [Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far/) [Far less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far-less/) [Fundamentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentally/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/less/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Paying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax/) [Tax rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-rate/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wealth Paying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-paying-3449560/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) ## Related quotes > [“A 2008 study of the wealthiest four hundred taxpayers, for instance, showed that they earned an average of $202 million and paid an effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/a-2008-study-of-the-wealthiest-four-hundred-taxpayers-for-instance/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [First, the oil and gas business pays its fair share of taxes. Despite the current debate on energy taxes, few businesses pay more in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-watson/first-the-oil-and-gas-business-pays-its-fair-share-of-taxes-despite/) [John S. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-watson/) > [It's really a question of fairness and what kind of country we're going to live in. There are 22,000 people making over $1 million.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-plouffe/it-s-really-a-question-of-fairness-and-what-kind-of-country-we-re/) [David Plouffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-plouffe/) > [There is no reason why anyone in this country should be lacking health care when America has the resources right now. It would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/there-is-no-reason-why-anyone-in-this-country-should-be-lacking/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [Americans are paying for our lack of an energy policy with their jobs and out of their pocketbooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beauprez/americans-are-paying-for-our-lack-of-an-energy-policy-with-their-jobs/) [Bob Beauprez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beauprez/) > [Tax time approaches, and Americans are as always paying H & R Block billions to help them save some of their wealth from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/tax-time-approaches-and-americans-are-as-always-paying-h-r-block/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [Five years of Republicans' failed energy policies have resulted in Americans paying twice as much at the pump as they did in 2001, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-carnahan/five-years-of-republicans-failed-energy-policies-have-resulted-in/) [Russ Carnahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-carnahan/) > [Effective tax credits are used to create jobs and grow our economy. But tax credits that aren't delivering for Missourians must be retooled and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-nixon/effective-tax-credits-are-used-to-create-jobs-and-grow-our-economy/) [Jay Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-nixon/) > [We need to consider a financial transactions tax. And we need to ask whether the top marginal tax rates are really appropriate, given that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/we-need-to-consider-a-financial-transactions-tax-and-we-need-to-ask/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [Transparency and effective tax co-operation must be shared principles applied by all. Until they are, nations will need to protect themselves against loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/transparency-and-effective-tax-co-operation-must-be-shared-principles/) [Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/) > [If you're in a situation where your effective tax rate is so much lower than any other company, then obviously you have a much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-vestager/if-you-re-in-a-situation-where-your-effective-tax-rate-is-so-much/) [Margrethe Vestager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-vestager/) > [Whatever we believe about how we got to be the extraordinary creatures we are today is far less important than bringing our intellect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/whatever-we-believe-about-how-we-got-to-be-the-extraordinary/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Nevertheless, the realization that breaking a pencil point would have far less disastrous consequences played little or no role, I believe, in this decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-a-marcus/nevertheless-the-realization-that-breaking-a-pencil-point-would-have/) [Rudolph A. Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-a-marcus/) > [Whatever the reason, American Muslims appear far less inclined to support the global jihad than their European counterparts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/whatever-the-reason-american-muslims-appear-far-less-inclined-to/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) ## More by Terri Sewell > [We could have done a better job explaining what was in the Affordable Care Act, but when you talk to people and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/we-could-have-done-a-better-job-explaining-what-was-in-the-affordable/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [Im benefitting from the sacrifices and seeds sown by Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, and so many others. Those of us who are beneficiaries owe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/im-benefitting-from-the-sacrifices-and-seeds-sown-by-shirley-chisholm/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [When you have incidences like the Trayvon Martin verdict, the erosion of certain fundamental rights like voting, it just reminds us that we're always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/when-you-have-incidences-like-the-trayvon-martin-verdict-the-erosion/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [Collaboration is really important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/collaboration-is-really-important/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [I think at the end of the day we have to raise the debt ceiling, because America pays its bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/i-think-at-the-end-of-the-day-we-have-to-raise-the-debt-ceiling/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [You grow up with a heightened sense of the Civil Rights Movement, but I think it wasn't until I became of age that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/you-grow-up-with-a-heightened-sense-of-the-civil-rights-movement-but/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [Don't count on Congress. Laws come into being because people on the ground demand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/don-t-count-on-congress-laws-come-into-being-because-people-on-the/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [Dont count on Congress. Laws come into being because people on the ground demand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/dont-count-on-congress-laws-come-into-being-because-people-on-the/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [I think that one thing I have learned as a freshman is that it is really important to collaborate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/i-think-that-one-thing-i-have-learned-as-a-freshman-is-that-it-is/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) [Explore all 10 Terri Sewell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that something is fundamentally wrong if a person of his great wealth is only paying 13.9 percent effective tax rate and most of Americans are paying 28, 30 percent and they make far less.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terri Sewell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally-wrong-if-a-person-of-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally-wrong-if-a-person-of-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/terri-sewell-40959_american_i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally_2800999.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that something is fundamentally wrong if a person of his great wealth is only paying 13.9 percent…” — Terri Sewell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terri Sewell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that something is fundamentally...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally-wrong-if-a-person-of-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/i-think-that-something-is-fundamentally-wrong-if-a-person-of-his/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```