Fair Taxes

 “To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee of everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.”
--Thomas Jefferson

Taxation was one of the major issues that drove our nation’s founders to fight for their independence.  At the time, “taxation without representation” was the mantra of the day, but taxation, in general, was a huge factor for the founders.  It was clear by the limitations they placed on government that the founders preferred a small, inexpensive government.

Our founder’s would be outraged to see how government spending has skyrocketed.  Politicians have created entitlement programs that have made millions of Americans dependent upon these government programs.  These individuals have no real stake in ensuring the efficiency or effectiveness of government.  Similarly, they have supported the development of a highly unfair progressive tax system that punishes success.

 Our nation’s current progressive tax system effectively represents a version of the “taxation without representation” situation that our founders so vehemently opposed.  It is clearly unfair to provide the same power of the vote—and therefore the same voice in government—to all citizens while requiring some citizens to relinquish a higher percentage of their income than others.

 The complexity of the tax code acts as another tax in itself.  Sixty-one percent of taxpayers have been driven to use tax-preparation services. Individuals and companies spend about 6.5 billion hours filing their taxes, according to the Government Accountability Office. Estimates of the cost to the economy run from $125 billion to $140 billion.

 We must return to a simpler, fairer tax system.  We must return to a public mindset that understands the benefits of limited government and lower taxation.

“The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward.”

-- John Maynard Keynes (1883 - 1946)

Source: Business & Media Institute