“I’m proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money.”
–Arthur Godfrey.
“The purpose of a tax cut is to leave more money where it belongs: in the hands of the working men and working women who earned it in the first place.”
–former U.S. Senator Robert Dole (R. Ks.).
“Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.”
–former President Calvin Coolidge (R.).
Today is tax day, and every American ought to be outraged. They ought to be outraged that government at all levels takes so much of our income. In some States, the combined federal, State, and local income taxes alone can amount to more than 60%. And that does not account for real estate taxes, sales taxes, gasoline taxes, licensing fees, and other assorted levies. It is pure thievery, all in pursuit of political power, and socialized redistribution of wealth schemes. God only seeks 10% of the fruits of our labors; why should politicians get more?
Yes, yes, yes, but the “rich” can afford to pay more. So? Does your neighbor’s wealth give you a claim on a portion of it for your own purposes? Lenin, meet Marx.
In America, government defines “rich” as anyone with a job. One of my more liberal relatives was all for taxing the “rich” until she got a job, and realized how much the government took out of her paycheck. She was not liberal very long.
More than 2/3 of federal spending is unconstitutional. There is no authority for the federal government to provide citizens with health care, housing, food stamps, Social Security, or any of the other myriad of federal programs. But our citizenry is both largely ignorant and greedy. They are ignorant of our Constitution and the purpose of government. And they are greedy. Don’t think so? Try and convince an aid recipient that they are not entitled to their “benefits”. It will not go well.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship, then a monarchy.”
—The Daily Oklahoman (December 9, 1951).
Is this not where we are now? Of course it is! How do you think we got $39 trillion in debt (and counting). And that $39 trillion does not include benefits promised by Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid (again, all unconstitutional).
We need to drastically cut spending. We need to drastically cut regulations. We need to drastically cut taxes. We need to make Washington, D.C. into a backwater, which rarely touches our daily lives, and exists mainly as a tourist attraction for families and school field trips. Can you imagine how much prosperity and opportunity would exist for all if government was not sucking up so much? Try.
GFK
Observations From The Fifth Estate 