Taxes

OK........here's a big one, TAXES.  Small word, big impact (psychologically).  At its core, this is really a simple subject.  Before I express my thoughts on the broad picture of taxes, I do want to note that I believe that the tax code does need simplification.

Taxes, why?  Why, because WE the people need to pay for the "stuff" we want & need.  WE need to pay for the ways in which WE fund what the Constitution mandates.  The streets, the bridges, the sewer systems, the parks, the military, the police, the federal, state and local workers that make it all happen, the schools, etc.

Well let's start with the size of government. You might say, it's too large, it needs to be paired down.  Be assured that in a country as large as ours, WE need a large government to steer the ship.  Also, think about the level of unemployment that would occur if WE were to eliminate government jobs.  'No', you say, those same employees will be picked up by private industry which will be contracted by US, the government, to do what the government did, inefficiently.  The government, WE,  will still need money to pay the contractors and there are examples of private contractors being "efficient" by skirting regulations; e.g.'s Black Water, during the Iraq war and the recent federal prison system issues when run by contractors.  Therefore, in order to make sure that these functions are administered properly by contractors, the government, WE, would need to hire a large number of employees to monitor & enforce regulations.  Who needs regulations, you say.  WE do, to protect ourselves from basic human nature......GREED.

Next, I want to reinforce the fact that  government is necessary to give US a cohesive country, rather than a large number of individual "fiefdoms".  Let's suppose that the government, WE,  did not provide funding for roads and bridges and uniform specifications and regulations for these pieces of infrastructure.  Well WE still want this 'stuff', so where is it coming from?  The states?  WE'LL still need to pay taxes to the state WE live in to get it done.  When WE drive from one state to another, there may not be consistency in the roads, the signage, the quality of materials & construction.  There are  others that say they want to only use what they pay for and only pay for what they use.  In this scenario the possibility exists for individuals to build roads and bridges & charge tolls for any vehicle that wants to use them.  Not a great picture, is it?

Taxes are not some punitive function of some over arching government.  WE are the government.  WE govern ourselves through our elected officials and the human resources that our elected officials fund and administer.  Any person in OUR country who does not want to pay for what they already use; the roads, the police and armed forces that provide us with protection, the public schools and so much more, needs to stop using these resources.  Of course these people won't stop using all of these 'things' that WE pay for, they'll just continue to complain that they are being sorely used by having to pay taxes.

Now......who's paying & who's not paying taxes is another discussion!