America Needs Taxes

[dajoki]

Carl Gibson.
Co-founder of U.S. Uncut
America Needs Taxes
Posted: 06/ 1/11 04:58 PM ET
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-gibson/america-needs-taxes_b_869744.html

<<snip>>

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said "Taxes are the price we pay for civilized society." Taxes have paid for everything from the interstate system to national parks, the moon landing and the liberation of France. In fact, Eisenhower, a Republican, presided over an era where corporate taxes accounted for a quarter of all federal tax receipts, and the richest Americans still enjoyed their wealth while paying a 90% top tax rate. Americans were never more prosperous as a whole than during that era. Now, loopholes and lobbying have lowered the top tax rate to its lowest point since the Truman era, and corporate tax dollars only count for 5-7% of all federal tax receipts.

After the Great Depression, our leaders had a vision for America. They fought to see ours was a country where everyone was afforded the opportunity for free basic education, an affordable home, a steady income and free healthcare for the poor and the elderly. FDR took to the airwaves in his last months of life to push for a second bill of rights that guaranteed all of these things and more. MLK called for an economic bill of rights to be drafted in 1967 that guaranteed Americans a fair standard of living.

Instead, the American people who pay taxes and abide by the laws put before us are seeing these essential pillars of American democratic society crumble to pieces. The same corporations who pay for the campaigns of our elected officials and own the mainstream media are instead allowed the opportunity to not only avoid paying their fair share to participate in society, but also to spend millions lobbying our leaders to continue avoiding their obligation.

We're constantly bombarded by rhetoric about how businesses are "obligated" by their shareholders to avoid taxes at all costs. Talking heads on TV constantly deride America's corporate tax rate, calling for it to be lowered so we can be more "competitive." Yet, the aforementioned corporations paid close to, and in some cases more than America's marginal 35% corporate tax rate. And each year, they continue to be extremely profitable without dodging taxes through offshore accounts.

What if today's corporations abided by a more sustainable business culture, where taxes are seen as an investment in their country rather than something to avoid? What if those investments could pay for nationwide poverty relief? Or cross-country green energy infrastructure? If NASA had the money to carry out a Mars landing, instead of a moon landing? If we could guarantee high-quality free public education to ALL students, regardless of zip code.

If an American business wants to employ our workers, use our infrastructure, and depend on us to make them prosperous, they should be required to pay our taxes. Our leaders must reform our tax laws to reinforce that standard. Let's hold government and businesses accountable to the American people -- the real shareholders.

[Taverner]

1. YES! I am an American. And I want more taxes.

Yes, I just started a new job and haven't receieved a check, but I want to pay more taxes.

It would be nice if those taxes went to something important like Head Start or the USDE, instead of paying for Rambo missions in countries that hate us but, hey, America loves a 'winner'

[Old and In the Way]

2. I really don't get it.

Historically (up until the last Bush War on Iraq), we raised taxes to fight wars that were an external threat to our well being. Shouldn't we also raise taxes when the threat is internal? One that truly threatens the way of life for the bottom 95%? Is it not a form of treason to enact legislation that is enabling the internal economic threat to continue or worsen our economic well being? I think so.

[Taverner]

3. The rich paid 90% taxes during WWII

In the UK, taxes on the rich were 95% up until Thatcher.

We can at least afford to tax at 40%

[notesdev]

4. We don't need more taxes

We take in more than enough for all LEGITIMATE purposes.

More than half of what we spend goes to various forms of waste and fraud. Empire building, bailouts, Medicare fraud, welfare fraud, SSI fraud, food stamp fraud even (I got a copy of a recent receipt where someone bought lobster and steak with a SNAP card), and every other kind of fraud imaginable. Lots of contracting fraud going on too in the government, endless billions wasted.

For every $100 we spend to help people, at least $70 of that is ending up in the pockets of people who don't need the help, they're just helping themselves.

I don't see how we correct the problem without a cultural change where the miserly and honest dealers, not the spendthrifts and scammers, are most respected.

[dajoki]

5. "I got a copy of a recent receipt where someone bought lobster and steak with a SNAP card"

Oh, I forgot, the poor must only eat the scraps they can find in the dumpster behind the fancy restaurant.:sarcasm:

[Abq_Sarah]

6. I don't think that was the point.

[notesdev]

8. Why should I be paying for someone else to eat better than I do?

What exactly is the justification for me to pay for someone else to eat steak and lobster when I can't afford to eat like that myself? Am I a slave here?

[saras]

7. Hahahahahahaha!

You have figures to back up all these wild claims, right? That are generally trusted among DU members?

[notesdev]

9. It's my own estimate

With as corrupt as government has become, I am surprised at your skepticism. I have direct experience in the government sector so I have gotten a pretty good look at how things go on the inside. "Efficient" is not a word that applies, believe me.

To enumerate a few elements of the torrent of waste: about 90% of the military budget doesn't need to be spent at all. We could defend this country just fine on a tenth of what we spend. In the social sector, examples of excess are rampant and easy to find - city administrators in small towns in CA pulling down $600k, rampant pornography at the SEC, corporate welfare, bailouts, welfare cards used on cruise ships, bridges to nowhere, disability fraud, airports being built where they're not needed, medical billing fraud, people collecting benefits of dead relatives, banks giving the worst price of the day to public pension funds when performing currency actions on their behalf and pocketing the difference, hundred million dollar schools that never open, and so on and so forth.

I could go on for a long time listing the various types of abuses going on, but basically if you can think of a way to scam government dollars, someone else has thought of it first and is already doing it. It's so prevalent in every sector of society that the only way not to notice it is to be so used to it that you no longer notice it anymore. The situation is similar to the charity phone scams (that can ignore the DNC list) where they spend 95% of the money on paying people to call to ask for more money. Even if you dump a ton of money on such an operation, very little will end up getting through to the people who genuinely need help, the rest gets taken by all the hands in the pot along the way.

[Oasis_]

10. So laughable

"Fraud" is the term employed when poor people enjoy an occasional lobster and steak (the horror!!) but when it's a Wall Street executive--it's "bailout" or "too big to fail". The inherent implication being some deserve it--and others don't. The "others" always being the poor.

The poor will have to make cuts somewhere in their budget for the night out (God forbid they're allowed to feel human once in a great while) whereas the aforementioned exec simply continues with business as usual.

Oasis

[notesdev]

11. Welfare is not there to provide luxury

It's supposed to be for people who cannot survive without it. It's there so people don't starve, not so they can purchase expensive luxury items.

Have we really gotten so ridiculous that we pay for lobster and steak then complain there's not enough money? That is a literally insane way to operate. People should pay more taxes so that someone who pays no taxes can eat better than those who do? Why would anyone work rather than feeding from the trough under these conditions?

[Oasis_]

12. I can't begin to understand the rationale

A society that despises its poor as we do, yet is the most affluent in the history of the universe, really has its priorities completely out of whack.

Are we really this callous? I understand the notion of attempting to not foster complete dependency, but collectively concluding that prosperity for all would exist if we were just "tougher" on the people with zero voice in the process?

Cut Medicaid, drug test all welfare recipients, demonize them, call them worthless?

What's next?

Oasis