Wednesday, April 18, 2012

My thoughts on the tax system

Right now, everyone agrees that the current tax system sucks. We have a nation where half of the citizens pay 97% of the taxes, while the rest pay nothing and that's really not fair. However, we now have a situation where the federal government is spending much more than it takes in, and it's using class warfare to call for those people to pay even more...and hypocritically, many of those citizens who pay little or nothing in taxes are among the loudest voices calling for those who actually do pay the taxes to pay more, even going so far as to label an increase on those people (but not on themselves) as "a fair share".

That's ridiculous. But it's what Obama wants, because now he can justify raising taxes and converting more of other people's earnings into government property, for his use, of course. And by spinning the message the way that he has--that "the rich" somehow owe it to us all to pay even more--he's managed to gain the consent and support of a large proportion of American citizens, almost exclusively those who don't and won't pay taxes either way.

I have a better idea.

Let's toss the tax code out in it's entirety. It's already longer than the Holy Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare, or all seven Harry Potter books. Much of it is exemptions and exceptions that Congress has carved out for themselves and their friends anyway and no one can honestly claim to have read and understood the whole thing, so let's just pitch it.

I propose that we replace it with a simple system that does the following:

1. Every year, Congress must pass a completed budget for the following year. If they do not do so, they are barred from running for re-election, each and every one of them.

2. The amount required by this budget, plus five percent of the existing deficit, will be divided by the number of citizens between the age of 18 and 65.

3. Each and every person in that age range gets a bill for their part of that. No one is exempt, not even those who don't work. Only true and actual full disabilities will be accepted as an out and everyone else pays. Each person must pay that share, either in money or by volunteering to perform community service such that the benefit gained from their labor by the government equals that amount owed. We can even call it the "fair share" since the left likes that term so much.

4. The bill for the taxes owed needs to be sent to everyone in America just prior to election day. Let's see how the members of Congress relate to their constituents and ask for subsequent terms when each and every one of them has a bill in their hands showing them how much that member has cost them.

I'm betting that we'll see some real and significant cuts to our budget under this sort of system. All Congress needs is the right motivation.

And if this doesn't motivate them, I'm not averse to the old tried-and-true torches and pitchforks in the hands of an angry mob.

9 comments:

  1. My thoughts involve too many swear words to put down on paper...

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  2. Not a bad idea, also you can't vote unless you bill is paid.

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  3. I think it would be fair, which doesn't mean I like it, I object to paying for the idiocy of others. On the other hand it might be the only way to get us out of this mess.

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  4. Agree, if you're not pissed, then something is wrong...

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  5. I'm far from wealthy, but apparently not far enough to be among the nearly half of Americans who pay no tax. So, in addition to the 'paying as I went' from last year, I paid another large over the weekend to settle with my uncle.

    Seeing all the ways the Dems (as well as Rs) waste my money makes me wonder if I have "chump" tattooed to my forehead...

    I'll bring the tar and feathers.

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  6. "divided by the number of citizens between the age of 18 and 65"

    Citizens?

    Hey, what's wrong with you? I demand that you include the illegal aliens. In fact, they should get first collection priority.

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  7. @ E. Owl: Illegal aliens will be rounded up and used as free labor to build a massive border wall with moats and minefields, then they get tossed over the wall once it's done. Any of them caught here after that get sold into slavery in Africa or the Middle East under my plan and we use that money to help pay down the deficit.

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  8. I agree with you. Everyone should have to pay something, but we should start simple. Just getting rid of payroll withholding and making everyone write a check every quarter for their taxes would do the trick.

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  9. Taxes need to be linked with spending and spending should ONLY be done after the revenue comes in (that is you Pay-As-You-Go.)

    And the tax system? SALES TAX. No income tax. IRS only needs to look at the businesses and their books! IRS keeps their nose out of your business and just focuses on business sales tax.

    If you are poor, you pay little as you buy little. If you are rich and buy big, you pay big.

    AND NO EXEMPTIONS from the sales tax except for food, medicine, and hospitalization.

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