What if taxes made sense?


Speculating while I watch the centralized Federal government stagger it's way to collapse
I believe that the Federal government has passed the tipping point. It can't be saved, the responsible thing to do is minimize the collapse (shades of Isaac Asimov).

But a few years ago if someone had asked me what I would do to preserve the government, I had an answer prepared, at least a starting place.

The first thing would have been the repeal of the 16th Amendment. Not only did the notorious Sixteenth give the Federal government the power to levy an income tax, it also laid the groundwork for warrant-less searches, destroying privacy, and mandatory declarations "under penalty of law."

I would have replaced with 16th with another amendment specifically prohibiting the Federal government from enacting any income tax and forbidding the tracking of any income information at the Federal level.

Why didn't I just bite the bullet and forbid the income tax to the states as well? Because I believe in the free market. With fifty competing jurisdictions all anxious to keep taxpayers from voting with their feet, it would be easy to tell which tax systems work and which ones do not.

Of course, there would have been other changes under my proposed amendment. There would have been no "special" taxes, tax rates would be uniform. Gasoline would have had the same tax rate as groceries, and there would be no "sin" taxes for tobacco or alcohol. No exemptions for religious use or because someone is a Federal contractor.

Then state governments would have gotten a one third cut of all Federal taxes and fees collected within their borders, and the Federal government would have gotten a one third cut of all state taxes and fees. This would have kept the tax accountants honest, or at least a smidge more accountable.

Finally, I would have introduced a tax ceiling. The total tax rate would not have exceeded ten percent without the annual permission of those taxed. This would have allowed for "emergency" funding, but it would have meant an annual ballot of all voters. That would cut down on "nation building" and "hurricane response" both.

As I said, I think it's too late. But it was a nice "what if?"

— NeoWayland

Posted: Sat - July 26, 2008 at 01:43 PM  Tag


 ◊  ◊   ◊  ◊ 

Random selections from NeoWayland's library


Pagan Vigil "Because LIBERTY demands more than just black or white"
© 2005 - 2009 All Rights Reserved