I do not know about other countries but in my country, politics has compromised the economy growth with equity.
As the transition of power evolves, the value of the citizens are depreciated in the eyes of the governments which now optimizes citizens to rely living in fortitude of bravery and accepting challenges so that we don't give it all up hopelessly.

We fight it out by ourselves like there is no government to provide us with some basic amenities and quite better to be called "a daylight robbery or extortion" that once individuals has struggled to make productive differences from the economy slavery chain of the government, you would be will assigned to revenue on taxations.

My question.... If the government could find utilizations on the citizens for taxations on generating funds for infrastructures and other government services , why don't they invest on the citizens or support those with the potentials to productiveness knowing quite well that once they makes success, they would be demanded to also contributed to the growing structures of the economy?
What the government knows is that if a successful individual refuses to comply with the government order, they will get you frustrated tending to fold your productiveness qualities or you go to jail.

So, why don't they tax the poor who barely struggle to eat?:Simply because they found those set of citizens useless and the prison will be occupied if charge them for not paying taxes since there are more Poor people than the rich in the society.