Taxing Concept

Someone showed me this editorial in USA Today by Rich Benjamin (a senior fellow at Demos, a "non-partisan" public policy center) entitled "Yes, I love paying taxes." I'll ignore his calling the Tea Party movement "unpatriotic" and concentrate on this statement:

...deep in my bones, that place that speaks my mind, I am proud and glad to pay my income taxes.

Well, if that's what his mind-bone is telling him, then maybe he's not being taxed enough. If he's so glad to pay, I suggest he keep sending in more and more just up to the point where it's no longer enjoyable. Perhaps we should switch to a voluntary system, where everyone sends in what they want, and people like Rich Benjamin are allowed to feel as good as they can.

But then, maybe it's not paying taxes that he really enjoys, so much as the idea that everyone is forced to pay, adding up to trillions for our huge government to spend as it sees fit. I don't think most protesters oppose the concept of taxes so much as how the money is being spent, how big the government is, and how it spends more than it takes in no matter what the tax rate.

When you buy something, it's because you think it's worth more to have the item than to hold on to the money. Taxation is not a voluntary exchange, however, and as great as America is, there are plenty better ways the government that runs it (I try not to confuse America with its government) could handle the proceeds--including not taking so much to begin with. When you buy something that isn't as good as you thought it'd be, it's your own fault, but hopefully you can learn from that experience and be more careful in the future. We don't have that choice when it comes to taxes, so when you don't think you're getting your money's worth out of government, what shouldn't you protest?

PS In a related story:

Thousands of teachers and other union workers descended on the [Illinois] state Capitol on Wednesday and chanted "raise my taxes" to try to pressure politicians to avoid major budget cuts.

Unions have been dropping in popularity as the public started to notice the sweetheart deals they've been getting, especially since the Obama administration took over. And somehow, I don't think the sight of them demanding higher taxes will endear them to the public.

"If you try to leave town without doing your job, we're going to chase you," warned union leader Henry Bayer...

"We're going to chase you?" Sounds like it's time for a Bill Clinton editorial on how dangerous these people are.

PPS I don't mean to imply there's something strange about Illinois. Why, out here in California we also have public union employees marching on the Capitol to demand higher taxes.