#1
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Eating the Income
The following is a copy of a post on a Yahoo stock message board that I thought was sort of interesting.
There is a strong correlation between people's disposable incomes and their approvals for the government... one of the main factors justifying our love/hate? Taxes: Accounts Receivable Tax Building Permit Tax Capital Gains Tax CDL license Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Court Fines (indirect taxes) Dog License Tax Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Fuel permit tax Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon) Hunting License Tax Inheritance Tax Interest expense (tax on the money) Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax) IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax) Liquor Tax Local Income Tax Luxury Taxes Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Septic Permit Tax Service Charge Taxes Social Security Tax Road Usage Taxes (Truckers) Sales Taxes Recreational Vehicle Tax Road Toll Booth Taxes School Tax State Income Tax State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) Telephone federal excise tax Telephone federal universal service fee tax Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax Telephone State and local tax Telephone usage charge tax Toll Bridge Taxes Toll Tunnel Taxes Traffic Fines (indirect taxation) Trailer registration tax Utility Taxes Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What the hell happened? Certainly at leadt some of these taxes are necessary due to the changed demographics of US society. |
#2
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Re: Eating the Income
what has happened is that most people want the govt to take care of them in all situations. but still dont want govt. intrustion in their lives funny. the days of hardiness are gone where people actually fend for themselves, not survival i mean just ordinary day to day living problems. why even here in montana people call the sheriff if a bear walks thru their yard. like the sheriff should or could do something about it. they insure everything they own even when they buy a new radio they pay half the cost of it again for a policy to insure it if it breaks. the spirit of strong americans is long gone. i have to go now and wash my car because it isnt perfectly pretty.
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#3
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Re: Eating the Income
[ QUOTE ]
what has happened is that most people want the govt to take care of them in all situations. but still dont want govt. intrustion in their lives funny. the days of hardiness are gone where people actually fend for themselves, not survival i mean just ordinary day to day living problems. why even here in montana people call the sheriff if a bear walks thru their yard. like the sheriff should or could do something about it. they insure everything they own even when they buy a new radio they pay half the cost of it again for a policy to insure it if it breaks. the spirit of strong americans is long gone. i have to go now and wash my car because it isnt perfectly pretty. [/ QUOTE ] While I agree that calling the Sheriff because a bear walks through your yard won't solve anything, it is hardly an "ordinary day to day living problem" [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] |
#4
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Re: Eating the Income
it is an ordinary day living thing. its when the stupid moose chases you up the tree that you start to get mad at the wildlife. right now the wild turkeys just chased my cat out of the back yard.
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#5
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Re: Eating the Income
Sounds like its time for an early Thanksgiving, or have you gone vegan?
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#6
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Re: Eating the Income
They didn't have court fines 100 years ago? No toll roads or bridges either? How could anyone think such a thing?
Contrary to popular belief, Americans are not taxed more than citizens of other developed countries and their tax burden, as a percentage of GDP, has not significantly risen during the last four decades, having remained between 18-20%. Maybe there's a correlation between tax "hatred" and ignorance, similar to the customary complaints about foreign aid and welfare spending, also constantly overestimated according to opinion polls. |
#7
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Re: Eating the Income
no chris we arent taxed more than most other countries. but we send it away or waste it rather than spending it on our infrastructure. and who cares about% of gdp. we care about % of our total income that is taken away.
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#8
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Re: Eating the Income
"It would be thought a hard Government that should tax its people one-tenth Part of their Time, to be employed in its Service." -- Poor Richard Improved, 1758, by Benjamin Franklin
How times have changed. It seems that now the measure of whether our taxes are too high is whether they are higher than those of other developed countries [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] Also, since the last four decades have not seen significant overall tax increases, it therefore follows that taxes are at "normal" levels [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] Complaints over foreign aid and welfare spending are likely to be due more to "overestimation" than to our actually spending too much on those things [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Government, apart from the welcome and necessary good it may (hopefully) do in protecting our rights and providing for the common defense, is at once the least effective and most expensive means of accomplishing everything else under the sun. This is borne out by experience, but fools insist on proving it anew at every chance they get. Whether you walk a circuitous route, or a more circuitous route, you will still arrive later than if you walk a direct route. Government is the "circuitous route"; more government, and more powers of government, are the "more circuitous route." Simplicity, self-reliance, and the economy of the universe are the direct route. Nothing less than woodpeckers drilling on the sides of their heads, however, is likely to penetrate the thought processes of the collectivists [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] All of the above is posted for reflection rather than debate, as it merely expresses my personal observations and opinions [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] |
#9
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Eating role
"It would be thought a hard Government that should tax its people one-tenth Part of their Time, to be employed in its Service." -- Poor Richard Improved, 1758, by Benjamin Franklin."
Noble and just sentiments but fit for another age, when Americans did not number in the hundreds of millions and "infrastructure" was having an outhouse at all. Sheer numbers dictate an altogether bigger and different state (not necessarily better in every aspect) which in turn entails heavier contributions from its citizens. "Now the measure of whether our taxes are too high is whether they are higher than those of other developed countries." Countries that belong to roughly the same category in socio-economics, such as western democracies, are expected to converge in their fiscal policies as well, among other things. This should be obvious. Therefore, a comparison of the various economic measures (eg taxes, eg disparity between lowest and highest incomes, etc) between two western democracies is indeed a valid and most educational exercise. Why the surprise ? "Also, since the last four decades have not seen significant overall tax increases, it therefore follows that taxes are at "normal" levels." This is only true if one accepts that four decages ago, as well, taxation in the United States was at "normal levels", whatever the hell you mean by that. Four decades ago we were smack in the middle of the JFK/LBJ presidencies, way before a Republican President froze wages and prices in order to fight inflation (!) and when American taxation was the lowest almost everywhere among western democracies. And don't get me started on the ridiculous gasoline excise tax in the US! |
#10
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Re: Eating role
..."Sheer numbers dictate an altogether bigger and different state (not necessarily better in every aspect) which in turn entails heavier contributions from its citizens."
Didn't I say times have changed??? I think that was my first sentence;-) Not necessarily requiring this much bigger a government though, and not necessarily so much on the federal level, either. Also you have just made an argument against having such a high rate of immigration. Countries that belong to roughly the same category in socio-economics, such as western democracies, are expected to converge in their fiscal policies as well, among other things. This should be obvious. Therefore, a comparison of the various economic measures (eg taxes, eg disparity between lowest and highest incomes, etc) between two western democracies is indeed a valid and most educational exercise. Why the surprise?" The collectivist economic policies of much of Europe are a poor and inefficient model, and expecting the USA to converge with such examples rather than lead the way based on its own vision is a recipe for universal mediocrity. And, as Churchill said: "The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of communism is the equal sharing of miseries." The statement may be toned down somewhat for socialism, but the gist remains. "Also, since the last four decades have not seen significant overall tax increases, it therefore follows that taxes are at "normal" levels." "This is only true if one accepts that four decages ago, as well, taxation in the United States was at "normal levels", whatever the hell you mean by that." My point exactly, didn't I put a [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] or a [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] after the sentence? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] |
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