The wealthiest U.S. households pay a lower effective tax rate than everybody else. The Very Rich Pay Their Fair Share Act, a would-be Oregon ballot measure, had the goal of creating a 2% tax on the assets of taxpayers worth $30 million and more. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, also a Democrat, proposed a similar tax that would set up an annual tax of 2% on households and trusts valued at more than $50 million. There would be an additional 1% charge, for a total of 3%, on households and trusts valued at more than $1 billion. And if very rich people are getting richer in part because the tax system does not tax the way many of them increase their wealth, it does seem like they are not paying their fair share.