kevin_standlee: Kevin after losing a lot of weight. He peaked at 330, but over the following years got it down to 220 and continues to lose weight. (Default)
kevin_standlee ([personal profile] kevin_standlee) wrote2019-02-04 07:02 pm
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Government Isn't a Charity

After reviewing our tax return with Lisa, I went ahead and e-filed it. Nevada doesn't have a personal income tax, so there was only the one return to file in TurboTax.

One thing that struck me was that it just didn't seem like I was paying enough income tax. My effective tax rate went from about 9.5% to about 7.2% for what was approximately the same income. That's the Trump Tax Cut, of course, but it doesn't feel right.

Now before anyone says, "If that's how you feel, make a donation for the rest, you dumb liberal!" I have a a response, and it's the title of this post: Government Isn't a Charity. I would not be adverse to a somewhat higher tax rate, as long it applies uniformly. (That doesn't mean a Flat Tax; progressive taxation is sound policy. It means the same rules apply to everyone.) Relying on voluntary contributions to fund the government has never worked. That's actually how the First American Republic was supposed to be financed: contributions from the states. One of the reasons that we had to form the Second American Republic (the one we're under now) was that this method didn't work and the central government was effectively bankrupt.

But, given the nature of the Republicans controlling tax policy right now, I guess I should just be grateful that I didn't have a big tax penalty to pay for the massive bonus going to a handful of already hyper-wealthy people.
delosharriman: a bearded, serious-looking man in a khaki turtleneck & hat : Captain Tatsumi from "Aim for the Top! Gunbuster" (Default)

[personal profile] delosharriman 2019-02-09 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
I genuinely believe that any real "tax reform" ought to begin by ending the discrimination against wage-earners. Taxing dividends & capital gains at the same rate as other income would at least help to mitigate the upward redistribution of wealth. At one time they were taxed higher ; then the "supply-side economics" crowd convinced everybody that lower rates would stimulate "investment", without being terribly specific about what that meant. Surprise! We got leverage buyouts, not new powerplants, railroads, factories…
Not meaning any unkindness to you, but I could live without what seems to be the only kind of new real investment around here lately, ever more giant warehouses/"fulfillment centers" along the freeways.