Some people are still wrapped up in the idea that our state of economic problems could go a long way to being fixed if the rich just paid their fair share, and they still don't believe that the spending of the government is orders of magnitude greater than the taxes they think will fix things. Here's a video with a good visual representation of just how much bigger the spending problem is compared to the tax base. Featuring the NFL and MLB draft, Bill Gates, and Exxon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=661pi6K-8WQ&feature=related
I heard that if (hypothetically) there was a law that said nobody is allowed to make over $1 million and everything over that million dollars mark was to go to the government, that it would barely help the deficit. IMHO: raise taxes for everybody, and stop spending. We have to suck it up for a few years/decades/centuries.
Cut spending first and prove that you aren't going to completely waste the money we give you (bailouts, programs that show no return, etc.)...then I am ok with sucking it up for awhile. All the government proves it does with more tax payer dollars is spend even more money with nothing to show for it. They are like the lottery winner that is in more debt in 5 years after they when the lottery than when they started. Give them more money and they find out how to spend even more.