In the workplace and in polite company it is best to avoid the topics of religion and politics. While I’ve tried to keep this blog polite and proper, I’ve occasionally wandered into those forbidden topics. I thought I might wander into forbidden territory once again on the off-chance that my descendants might be interested in a few of my opinions. That is all they are, opinions. Hopefully I don’t tick off my friends and relatives so much that they quit reading the blog. With this brief explanation and apology in mind I offer the following . . . opinions.
The year is 2010. The world economy has been in a state of crisis for two years. U.S. unemployment exceeds 10%, tax revenues are down, and state governments are looking to make massive cuts to state budgets to avoid massive deficits. Some states have constitutions that require a balanced budget, so the states cannot legally run a deficit. Something has to be cut from the budget. Nobody wants to cut roads, parks, health, or education, but something has to be cut, and by necessity it is going to be something desirable.
I was amused these past several weeks to see students in California and Georgia protesting proposed cuts to state colleges. The students were outraged and demanded that the state continue to fund their educations. I was outraged that the students felt entitled to an education that I am forced to subsidize.
The students are essentially demanding the government forcibly take my money in the form of taxes and pass it on to state colleges so the students don’t have to pay for their own education. How is it that the students feel entitled to my money? Where and when did it become my responsibility to pay for the college education of these students? Why don’t these students feel a responsibility to pay for their own educations?
Americans don’t recognize their own responsibility for their own welfare. An increasing proportion of the population feels that their welfare is the responsibility of the government. The government is me. I am the government. I am the wage earner and the tax payer. At tax time this year the IRS revealed that 47% of Americans do not pay income taxes. Beware the welfare state? (Herbert Hoover, but I cannot prove it.) We are already there. . .
Forty-seven percent of our citizens are content to sit on their asses and have their votes purchased in the form of “social programs”. Neal Boortz says that the producers (those of us who actually work and pay taxes) are having the fruits of our labors taken by the looters (our elected officials) and paid to the moochers (recipients of the government dole) in payment for votes. I don’t think we should take money from people who have earned it, and then give it to people who have not earned it, and call it “taxes”.
It is not my responsibility to provide you with a job, a minimum wage, or a basic standard of living. It is not my responsibility to feed you. It is not my responsibility to pay for your healthcare. It is not my responsibility to pay for your birth control or for your abortion. It is not my responsibility to provide your housing. It is not my responsibility to pay for your education. It is not my responsibility to provide for your transportation. It is not my responsibility to take care of your children. It is not my responsibility to do anything for you. It is your responsibility to take care of yourself.
If I, as a conscientious citizen of this republic, voluntarily choose to contribute to charity, then that is my business.
Darth Dad
April of 2010
I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.
--Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787
If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.
--Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Cooper, 1802
Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.
-- Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826
That government is best which governs least.
-- Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, 1849
Then - "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy - January 20th 1961
ReplyDeleteNow - "Ask not what you can do for your country - ask what your country can do for you." - Annon.
OOHHHH are you looking for trouble with this post. The problem is that it is impossible to catch the nuances in a short blog post. Whole books are probably written on this.
ReplyDeleteTaxes: I want my taxes to pay for:
1) infrastructure, roads, bridges, pipelines, water, sewer, etc. 2) Defense (and border control) 3)A whole bunch of govt watchdog stuff is necessary 4) Education...thru HS and capital expenditures for state/community college construction...but as you say, the protesting student falls on my deaf ears. They need to complain to their parents. (But don't get me started on athletic scholarships for "students" who have no intention to finish)
5) A whole buch of things I'll think of later
As for the 47% who don't pay taxes. I thought the # sounded fishy. It's more like 20% if you believe this post:
http://digg.com/news/politics/The_47_Myth_Just_Who_Pays_Income_Tax_Anyway
Would like to see the real statistics...so don't get your shorts in a bunch quite yet.
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Just don't quote N.Boortz, G.Beck, K.Olberman, R.Maddow, M.Moore. They are all resorting to demagoguery...manipulating emotions (over admittedly real problems) to get everybody upset...over and over and over again. Turn them all off! All they are doing is further polarizing society such that nothing gets done...to everyone's detriment. (I'm digressing into media issues now...sorry, a whole other subject).
U.Bill
U. Bill –
ReplyDeleteI am looking for something I strenuously disagree with here and am finding little. Yes, there are some things I want my taxes to pay for that we can only do together as a country. Your list is good.
The number 47% sounded high to me also. I did a little looking on the net and found a confirmation of it back when I wrote the blog piece. I’d heard it on the radio. The number you found is much more reasonable and about what I would have guessed.
Lastly, I am worried about the demagoguery too. It does increase the polarization of a population that is already deeply polarized. Some of the talk show hosts are making a living stirring up people’s emotions in an inflammatory way and calling it entertainment. That is their justification rationale; that it is entertainment and you should be able to think for yourself and know better than to listen to them. Regrettably, politicians do the same thing.