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usenet/Taxes,_responsibility,_and_just.html

From our archives of Tom's USENET posts. Some of these posts are over a decade old. The author may have mellowed with age since these were written, but the basic views remain. (Please note that web links inside this document may be broken.)

From tms Wed Jan 31 16:32:05 EST 1996 Newsgroups: misc.consumers.frugal-living Subject: Taxes, responsibility, and justice Summary: Expires: References: <4d89bl$6jb@castle.nando.net> <4de659$cpn@grandcanyon. binc.net> <cliffkot.69.0035544B@interaccess.com> Sender: Followup-To: poster Distribution: Organization: from, not for, Trusted Information Systems, Inc. Keywords: I suggest that follow-ups go to e-mail, since we're not really talking about frugal living anymore. cliffkot@interaccess.com (Cliff Kotchka) writes: > The simple fact is that people who have higher incomes benefit less from >government than people who make lower incomes. I would suggest that, to the contrary, the rich derive much more benefit from the government than the poor. One does not see a stable wealthy class in nations with a weak government. Government services can be divided into two types, which I usually think of as `infrastructure' and `social responsibility'. The former are programs that it is impractical or impossible to handle via entirely private means and from which (at least in theory) everyone benefits; such as national defense, law enforcement and criminal justice (when it prosecutes real crimes, and not political ones such drug use and gambling), roads, basic scientific research, environmental protection, maintenance and preservation of public lands, and maintaining the economic infrastructure. Social responsibility programs are those that enforce our basic duties to our fellow beings. Care of the sick and disabled, assistance to the poor; the `safety net' of our basic responsibilities to others. (IMHO, for some of these services it's not necessary for the government itself to provide them, only to see to it that they _are_ provided to all in a fair and proper manner. Donations to organizations that provide these services should result in a tax credit, not just a deduction; if people donate enough to non-government entities that handle these things, the government's role in that area can shrink to one of oversight.) Some things mix the two; we all benefit from an educated populace, but on top of that we also have a social responsibility to see that children are educated. Indeed, it might be pointed out that seeing that justice is done is part of our social responsibility, and that since poor and hungry people are often driven to extreme measures we all benefit from the existence of social welfare programs. As usual, the division isn't so cut and dried as may first appears; but it's still a useful concept. The majority of government spending goes for infrastructure type programs, not social responsibility ones. And I submit that the rich derive more benefit from these infrastructure programs than do the poor. Prevention of fraud and enforcement of contracts, enforcement of so-called `land rights', maintaining the infrastructure that allows trade - these benefit the rich more than the poor. I don't mean to defend the status quo; it's obvious that many government programs, dealing with both infrastructure and social responsibility, need radical overhaul. And the tax system is outrageous. Hell, the whole damn political system needs to be stripped down and be rebuilt; two hundred and twenty years is a long time for any engine to keep running. Rebuilt, yes, but not junked. > It is the lower income >people who should pay more of their incomes to pay for the services they >receive. Not only "Let them eat cake!" but let them pay for it too, eh? Anyway, requiring the poor to pay more taxes only makes the more poor and more in need of government services, for which they have to pay more, further reducing their income, thus requiring them to seek still more public assistance... == Tom Swiss/tms@tis.com ==== "Born to die." === Keep your laws off my brain! = "What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?" - Nick Lowe "And so, may evil beware and may good dress warmly and eat lots of fresh vegetables." -- _The Tick_
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