To some people, the
answer to every problem is to raise taxes—on someone else
It’s enough to make your head explode.
They always want higher taxes – on someone else. Never themselves.
They may say: “I would pay extra taxes.” They are lying. They aren’t willing to pay an extra dime of
taxes for anything, no matter how lofty the goal, or how truly real the
need.
But they always think somebody else should.
As long as the higher
taxes are placed on people they don’t like, or on practices they don’t agree
with – such as smoking, drinking sugary soft drinks, eating candy bars or
buying expensive boats, whatever – they’re all in. If it’s not on them, or on something they and
their ilk use all the time, Hell yes, raise taxes.
So, wonder how they’d feel if there were a special
alternative minimum tax – regardless of income – on the 47+% of people who now
pay no Federal taxes.
Or a national sales tax on everything, with no exemptions or
exceptions – a true consumption tax, in other words.
Oh no, no, no – can’t do that.
Instead, let’s simply tax someone else. Let’s put a special tax on something that
affects other people, but not me. Let me
keep all my tax deductions and credits but deny deductions and credits to
others. Give me all the positives with
none of the associated pain.
These freeloaders—and that is the precise word for them –
want all the benefits of what they imagine would be an “enlightened society” without
kicking in personally to cover the cost.
They are like Wimpy:
they would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today for them and all
their causes. Except Tuesday never
comes. And never will.
Talk is cheap when you’re not footing the bill.
So they want billions poured into “green” initiatives. Billions more for “green” jobs. Billions more to protect the jobs of state
and local government “non-essential” personnel.
That’s on top of bailouts for automakers to preserve union
jobs. Bailouts for stupid homebuyers and
greedy speculators who bought properties they could never afford. Bailouts for graduates who borrowed thousands
to get degrees in worthless, self-indulgent majors and now can’t pay back their
loans. Bailouts for mismanaged pension
funds that promised the world based on unrealistic numbers.
Now they want to extend unemployment benefits indefinitely. They want to keep student loan rates
artificially low. They want to continue
the payroll tax cut that reduces the money going into Social Security, but want
Social Security benefits to be more expansive.
They want free prescription drugs. They want free healthcare for everyone.
They want. They
want. They want. But they don’t want to pay anything themselves. Just give the bill to someone else.
It’s insane.
Yet not a day goes by that you won’t hear someone say the
answer to all our budget problems – and the way to fund any crackpot schemes –
is to raise taxes, always on somebody else.
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