We should keep taxes in perspective say some progressives, who always want to make sure everyone "pays their fair share."

by: michael wolfe | published: 02 18, 2011

Despite what they say, however, taxes are high. As a percentage, they consume much more of our weekly paychecks than they did when houses cost 6,000. When the income tax was first implemented, 1913, it was a 1% for those making 20,000 to 50,000 and rose to a maximum of 6% for those making 500,000 and over. Today there are countless tax brackets, and the percentage taken from the gross income is itself gross.

Where the income tax used to start at 1% for individuals making 20,000 or more, today they take a whopping 10% from those making between $0 – $17,000 (married filing jointly) and     $0 – $8,500 (single)! And that’s not even counting, state, local and sales taxes, as well as the built in cost of taxes on every good and service that makes its way to the end consumer. On the other end, if you’re making over 379,150, you get socked with a punitive 35% tax. And this is not even factoring in the new 50% tax on good health plans (isn’t that what the “healthcare” bill was supposed to promote). What’s more, a 20,000 salary has nowhere near the buying power it did in 1913. They also neglect to mention that the gimmick of printing money via the Federal Reserve to pay for government expenses helped to cause the inflation that makes us look back with awe at a time when a six room house cost 6,000!

Some people do not like that John Doe makes 375,000 a year plus benefits, so politicians play on this jealousy to enact punitive tax levels. If progressives really wanted to address unfairly untaxed wealth, he would look where the real wealth is, places like the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Ford Foundation. However, that would be uncomfortable because each of these treasure troves of billionaires are used to fund progressive causes, namely things like social justice, environmental justice, and about every other euphemism for wealth redistribution coupled with overbearing government intrusion that can be contrived of. (There is also the awkward irony of mega wealth funding those who claim to rail against the accumulation of wealth). Simply go to each foundation's website and search for "social justice" to see a sampling of the progressive causes they support.

Liberals dismiss concern for the debt as "bumper sticker" policy debate. It is not a mere “bumper sticker” to demand a balanced budget-to demand a dramatic reduction in government spending. With the deficit surging quickly beyond 1 trillion dollars annually, it is only a matter of time before this economic madness collapses. It cannot continue indefinitely. Progressives seem to imply that massive social spending is “what made America great.” America was already great before the income tax was enacted, before generational wealth transfers were mandated. America will cease to be great because it continues to make promises with other people’s money, bribing voters with money taken from others.

They are right in one way, it is not taxes alone that are the problem. It is the mentality in Washington that it is ok to: spend money you don’t have and create new entitlement programs when you cannot pay for the ones you already have. This has got to stop. How long can a bankrupt Federal government hand out money on loan?

Government charity is an oxymoron. Whereas faith and values and love govern true charity work, the federal government gives out bonus money to states who spend the most tax payer money! Moreover, true charity is more effective with its face to face interaction with the downtrodden. They are able to apply not just financial resources, but time and love and actually invest in the lives of people and raise them up.

Government “charity” is little more than paychecks and food stamps and discounted housing and free cell phones appearing to emanate from a faceless, nameless, emotionless bureaucracy with a host of rules that make trying to break free an exercise in futility.

High taxes are a symptom of a government run amok, throwing other people’s money at problems it cannot truly solve.

Let charities and churches fund charity work. Let the federal government fund only those activities related to actually governing and running the country. Americans are already among the most charitable. Let people keep more of their money. This will certainly lead to more charitable giving, and all without going through a low efficiency middleman. 

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