Text 14612, 95 rader
Skriven 2005-10-11 12:58:06 av Raymond Yates (1:3613/48)
  Kommentar till text 14598 av FRANK SCHEIDT (1:123/140)
Ärende: forever in debt
=======================
 FS> -=> Quoting Raymond Yates to Frank Scheidt <=-

 FS>> A National sales tax (excluding food and medicine) would be a
 FS>> very fair way to collect taxes but it would have one great
 FS>> disadvantage over the current income tax.  A national sales tax
 FS>> would *have* to be added to each state's sales tax to eliminate
 FS>> states' opposition to the concept.  In that event the total sales
 FS>> tax might be 25% even 30%.  Every day people would see that large
 FS>> tax number in front of them as a constant reminder that over
 FS>> one-fourth of their money goes to pay tax.  OTOH the income tax
 FS>> "number" is seen only as April 15th approaches each year.  Hence
 FS>> *that* number is less irritating.

 FS>> There would also be a concerted drive by lawyers to *defeat* any
 FS>> national sales tax proposal.  Lawyers *love* the many loopholes
 FS>> in the income tax.  A sales tax is *far* too uncomplicated for
 FS>> them.

 RY>> Actually, originally the Income tax was paid in March. In that
 RY>> month you had to write a check out to the government for the
 RY>> whole amount you owed ( I wasn't there, Frank, but maybe you
 RY>> were?) The idea of Witholding was sold on the idea that you
 RY>> exactly describe, to make it "painless".

 FS> Yes, I recall.  The idea of "withholding" tax is considered one
 FS> of the most brilliant tax-collecting idea ever conceived.  The
 FS> average guy considers only the theft on "Payday", not the total
 FS> annual bill.

Do this sometime; Ask the average preson how much he makes. Odds are he will
tell you his take-home pay (if he tells you at all). It's all he knows.

That's how desensitised we've become.

 FS> In fact most probably look upon April 15 with
 FS> pleasure for that's the day the gummint "gives" them (their own)
 FS> money (back).  Even changing the tax day from March 15 to April
 FS> 15 softened the blow.  "Wow!  Our gummint is giving us one month
 FS> FREE!" ...

Diabolical, isn't it. "Hey I get xxx back from the Gummint!" never mind it was
/ours/ and the gummint has been making the interest on it.

 FS> I well recall when the change was made, because even that
 FS> *change* was made in such a way that we morons welcomed it.  I
 FS> was in the Army and the gummint "forgave" the previous year's tax
 FS> payment and gave us back our money!!  Seemed like a great idea!
 FS> It was years later than I realized what a diabolically-clever
 FS> scheme it had been.  The average tax-payer today hasn't the
 FS> foggiest idea as to what happened -- and he doesn't care.

Which is just what "they" wanted. The /last/ thing Government wants is for
you to pay attention.. Just keep the re-elections coming.

 FS> Here's how *I* think income tax should be paid:  Payment should
 FS> take place two or three days before the November elections.
 FS> Payment must be in *cash*, currency, no checks and each city
 FS> would have only *one* clerk collecting for, say, each thousand
 FS> taxpayers.  Each payer would have to stand in line (in the
 FS> outside) to pay his "just due" ...


Were I not for the FairTax, I would go for this in a Heart-beat. Why I'd even
consider becoming a pick-pocket..

 RY>> What it actually does, though, is makes the voter foregtful. If
 RY>> he had to write out a check each year for several thousand
 RY>> dollars (and have made the interest on "his" money) Then he'd be
 RY>> darn sure more interested on where it was going..

 RY>> $250 million for a bridge for 50 people in Alaska, for example.

 FS> I'm surprised it's not a *billion* instead of merly *million* ...
 FS> [sigh] ...

Price has already gone up to 315 mil, and it's not even built yet..

 RY>> As to the other points, you're right. but even with that group
 RY>> against it, it still has a chance, and a better one this year than
 RY>> it ever has before.. I still remain hopeful.

 FS> "Hope springs eternal" as they used to say ...

Did you know when serfdom was all the rage the average serf only owed a
quarter of what he produced? that was enough for an eventual revolt.

Part of our revolution was over taxes, which were about that amount. We didn't
like it, and we couldn't abide by it, so we revolted.

Currently we're up to about 40%..

Think about that..

---
 * Origin: Ray's Rocket Shop - Out to Launch (1:3613/48)