Tax proposal: everyone, when filling out their taxes, has the opportunity to specify what they'd like the money to go for (or to not go for). Then those numbers can be tallied up and we'll see how they coincide with where the money really goes.
We could even do something like say that citizens can say where their money will go, and fund things accordingly. Maybe, if the Congressional budget and the citizens directives dont line up, people can be given a window to chnge their minds, so that if there is too much money in one area one may like, but not enough in a place of secondary acceptance, people can change their directive, making sure that perhaps all the programs they like get funding. Give them a window of, say, three months, maybe June through August, the government can then adjust their budgets or make appeals to the people. In an age of computers and the Internet, there's no reason why all this informantion cannot be easily available, as well as an individual's tax payments.A major problem with this idea: about 75% of taxes are paid by the nation's wealthiest individuals - can you imagine what they would choose? Nothing to help the rest of us, most likely.
Still, it'd be interesting to see what people do and dont want to fund, even if it never goes any farther than that.
6 comments:
You hit the nail on the head. If you leave it up to the skeevy bastards at the top of the economic food chain all we'd end up with would be private jet vouchers and yacht refurbishment tax deductions.
BTW, I haven't been shunning you. I've just been really busy battling the forces of evil.
The skeevy bastards have already been up to it. Why else would the drumbeat against the "Death Tax" (for estates over $1 million) be still sounding? And really, how many ordinary, working Americans are that affected by the Capital Gains tax? And why else was one of the first things done in the early days of the gas crisis not taxing low-mpg cars at a higher rate than economical ones?
Because all these things are primarily the concerns of wealthy America.
EDUCATION!!!
Infrastructure, education, healthcare.
Three things that ought to be funded first. You take care of these three things, and the rest (except for maybe defense) should take care of themselves.
We are all effected by the capital gains taxes, many of our retirement accounts will be effected by them. Estate Taxes, haven't we already paid taxes on this before. When they were collecting estate death/taxes before, many families were loosing their farms or homes because of these taxes.
If you want a bigger piece of the "pie" go out and earn it. Many of the "poor" people don't pay any taxes and as you said the rich already pay 75% of the taxes, what do you want?
Only God can help us of Obama wins this presidency....he will have everyone in the poor house.
Taxes help nations run, without them nations die. They're like chores, and you need to do them whether you like it or not, otherwise your house ends up a mess. If you think your tax money is wasted, change what it's spent on. But dont whine like a teen-ager about how much you hate government, while electing a bunch of guys who run on a platform of Government-Doesnt-Work, and who then go on to (self)fulfill their own (and your) prophecy.
And any family losing anything to estate taxes has both more than $1 million in assets, and a lousy accountant. My parents blew I dont know how much money setting up an unnecessary trust to hold their assets, even though they werent even halfway to the threshhold of the "death" tax.
And by the way, in what way do I not "earn" my money now?
Is it because I'm not in the financial sector? Did they "earn" their enormous salaries even as the economy collapsed due to their decisions? Did they "earn" the golden parachutes?
Is it because I'm not college educated? Whoops! I am. I'd be more so (maybe then I'd "earn" my keep), but tuition's gone up so much I can no longer afford to go to school.
In what way does my Boss "earn" the 5 times my pay (plus company car) that he currently makes? Is he 5X smarter? Does he have 5X the education? Does he work 5X harder? If he disappeared tomorrow, would it hurt the company more than if myself and 4 fellow workers did the same?
Here's a display of the way wealth is distributed in America (not totally accurate, but close enough for now):
Assume there are 100 people who have $100 to split up. No one expects it to be divided perfectly evenly at $1 apiece, but everyone involved expects that some basic fairness will be used in the process that will split up the money.
Now let's say the $100 winds up being divided as follows:
1 person gets $38.10
4 people get $5.32 each
5 people get $2.30 each
10 people get $1.25 each
20 people get .60 each
20 people get .23 each
40 people get 1/2 cent each
This is how our economic system has distributed the wealth of our country. It's so far from any type of fairness as to be laughable, were it not a direct cause of certain segments of our society lacking adequate resources for food, clothing, shelter, medical care and other necessities, let alone any amenities of a beyond-subsistence life.
The "innaccuracy" I mentioned of the example above, by the way, is that during the Bush years, the tax cuts in place currently have redistributed the wealth so that the 5 people at the top have a few cents more, and every one else has a bit less.
The "poor", by the way, pay "taxes" every day. They pay it when they buy anything, because sales taxes have gone up to pay for things that tax cuts arent funding. The same goes for every single increased usage fee at public pools, the DMV, any kind of licensing or permits, toll roads, safety inspections, cell phone charges, internet charges, and the latest local outrage: an extra clean-up fee charged to anyone from out-of-town who gets involved in an accident - expect that one to spread, and thank slashes in tax revenues for it.
And dont even get me started on what the nation's crumbling infrastructure and underfunded schools, librarys and police forces cost ordinary folks.
You want to be taxed less on the money you "earn" from capital gains because you're "investing" in America? Then invest in a start-up company. Buy new stock, either new issue or an IPO. But dont tell me that you're "helping" America grow because you're putting your money on that horse race we call Wall Street. It's gambling, it's speculation, and the only people it's helping are your brokers and, if you're lucky (and/or very patient), yourself. And yes, that includes retirees, including my own sweet mother. Why should you pay less money in taxes for the money you "earn" than I do for the money I "earn"? Because you didnt work for it?
You want to help America? Put your money into something, anything, that allows us to stop sending billions of dollars in oil purchasing and military aid to the middle east.
"the rich already pay 75% of the taxes, what do you want?"
I want a government that is not involved in a conspiracy to collect the wealth of the nation into a few hands. I want a nation that spends its money on infrastructure and education, that rewards true investment (i.e., putting money into creating things that create wealth, rather than rewarding speculation). I want a government that cares about all of its people, not just those who can afford to participate in the "free" speech of campaign contributions.
This nation has quietly been in a financial down-mode since the beginning of the Bush years, with the only people not feeling the pain being those at the top. As the economy continues to drop, it's not the time to raise taxes, at least on most of us.
There are a few though, who've been feeding well at the trough. They've benefitted handsomely from the Bush years, it seems only fitting that those who benefit the most should also pay the highest taxes.
Dont you think?
And if not, why not?
"Only God can help us of Obama wins this presidency....he will have everyone in the poor house."
I'll assume that's an "if" rather than a "of".
I'm curious though; how exactly will he (or perhaps, He) put us in the poorhouse? I mean, let's go nuts and assume the worst: Obama's a whacked-out socialist, and he somehow takes all the money in the country and redistributes it evenly. Look at the chart up there again. If the impossible should happen, then 4 out of 5 people will be better off. Is that so bad?
Especially when you consider that most people are so stupid that within 20 years it'd look a lot like it does now anyway.
But that's no reason not to try.
Finally, Lucy, this one's specifically for you: If you're in that top 5%, well, tough luck. You certainly have no sympathy for me, I fail to see why I should have any sympathy for your burden.
If you're not, you need to stop drinking that kool-aid McCain's serving, and you especially need to stop spiking it with gin, because you will get a tax break under Obama. Let the rich folk take care of themselves - it's what they're best at anyway.
um....
Let's just make this a new post.
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