Harris Sherline: Taxation with Representation

» Richard on 12.20.09 @ 01:14 PM

Actually, tax rates have not “increased exponentially” as Sherline claims. See graph 1 at http://www.truthandpolitics.org/fed-tax-burden-cbo.php.
And, has his prescription of lowering taxes worked in the past to stimulate investment and job creation? No, as most recently witnessed by the Bush administration tax cuts. He claims the politicians don’t get it. Well, some certainly don’t, like the supply siders, and, apparently, Mr. Sherline.
The primary issue is not the amount of taxes we pay; it’s what we’re getting for that money. I’d feel a lot better about my “tax burden” if so much of it was not going to large agri-businesses for not growing healthy crops and hundreds (thousands?) of other boondoggles.

As for AN50’s comment about the free market being so successful “without the help of government,” consider the national highway system, the publicly subsidized national communications system (telephone lines, the internet), a national postal system, publicly funded scientific research, public schools, and on and on. There has always been, and always will be, a government role in the economy and thank goodness for it. Again, the issue is not whether there’s a role for government to play (federal, state and local) but what’s the appropriate role, at what level of funding, etc.

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» Bob the Taxpayer on 12.20.09 @ 05:41 PM

The simple concept that gleeful taxpayers like Rob never seem to be able to grasp is that less taxes = more revenue. More taxes = less revenue. Figure it out.

And feel free to give more than required to the wasteful government anytime Rob, how much is enough? If 100% of your income is required to pay for all the “wonderful” services the government provides, is that enough?

The reason we are fearful to post names on the conservative side is that you socialists are all too willing to retaliate personally in the usual “attack the messenger” format (take Sarah Palin for example).  I have seen it in my place of employment, Yes conservatives are discriminated against. I had to quit my job I was forced out. Why are you so eager to know names? What’s it to ya?

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» Infomaniac on 12.20.09 @ 09:11 PM

Rob is absolutely right.  Harris sort of forgot to mention several of the main reasons state spending has been rising:

Reagan’s revenue sharing was INTENDED to have funds spent previously by the Feds, to be spent by the states instead.  Of course, the Feds sent the states the mandates, but not all the tax revenues to fund them.

In California and some other states, the Feds failure to reform immigration meant increased unfunded mandates on the states without concomitant revenues from the Feds.

The mostly Republican sponsored anti-crime legislation, such as 3 strikes, plus wars on crime for stuff like marijuana has filled our prisons at unprecedented rates.  And it costs a bit more to house a prisoner than to put a kid through Harvard, mostly because Harvard takes only 4 years and then you’re out.

The mostly Republican sponsored bankruptcy bill favoring creditors has made it harder to get out of debt and therefore made more people dependent on public assistance.

As to the people extolling free enterprise, perhaps they can explain how well it worked to lower our energy costs (remember Enron) or how swell deregulation of airlines has improved service and reduced costs.  And how well has free enterprise done in lowering health care costs or in assuring a solid banking system or a vibrant domestic car industry. 

Completely free enterprise leads to abuses such as child labor.  It’s a paradox but if we want competition, we need govt. oversight. 

Harris, you are smarter and know better than to pander to statistics without looking at underlying causes. Please talk up to us, not down.

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» Americans are overtaxed on 12.21.09 @ 09:17 AM

I think we are overtaxed 40%, and big government is destroying this country. Cut 2 million gov jobs, and sub- contract our all services to the productive private sector.

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» Rob the Robber on 12.22.09 @ 11:05 AM

Rob is exactly the kind of happy-to-pay-taxes useful guy the government is depending on for the socialist takeover. Yes rob it is wonderful that the government provides public safety and infrastructure, which is their role. Nobody denies the need for that. The problem is that it doesn’t stop there, nor does the taxation. Yes we need government, but it has to be controlled and limited. The question is government at what cost to the taxpayer and to liberty and freedom? Where do we draw the line? There is a large range between no government and no taxes, and HUGE government and taking everything you earn to distribute as it sees fit, which really is socialism. 100% taxation and 100% control of our lives. let’s stop at something like 20% government and 20% control of our lives. It is approaching 50% and growing.

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» AN50 on 12.23.09 @ 04:42 PM

Robby I don’t know what to say about you. You throw your service in the military out there like it’s supposed to erase the road you took afterwards. You became a lawyer, a liberal and then a spy for the DNC. And you get angry because the opposition won’t rat itself out to the new Obama Gestapo? Really Rob, is it brave to put your family name out there for the world to see on the world wide sewer or just foolish? I’ll let the consequences of your behavior speak for its self. I’ve been burned by such naïve nobility in the past; I won’t put my family through that again, particularly when operating around lawyers and DNC spy operatives like you.

As for the role of government, I never denied there was one or that government wasn’t necessary or useful. What I implied, that Robby still doesn’t get (and he’s a lawyer at that!) is that government works best when the private sector does. When Eisenhower passed the interstate and defense highway act in the late fifties our country’s economy was robust, it was a net producer economy expanding and creating wealth. We still had a net surplus in trade. Ergo, commie nit wits, we could afford a new highway system because our economy produced the extra revenue to fund it. Compare that to our economy today. We have racked up to 50 trillion dollars in debt since Eisenhower. We run a net trade deficit and our economy is no longer expanding because it is a consumer economy that spends more than it earns.

Do you guys understand creating wealth? Governments are very poor at doing so and socialist governments are the worst. Why the hell do you commie worshipping idiots think communist China decided to set up free enterprise zones in its country? They do it to embarrass their commie government? They do it because they knew capitalism would fail and then they could say “see we told you so”? No you pathetic European socialist worshippers, they did it because they realized what the Europeans so enveloped in their disdain for and envy of American capitalism, could not see, it works and works very well especially when government keeps its hands off. My God you guys are still operating under the lunatic notion planted by old Soviet spies 40 years ago that capitalism is evil and socialism is good. Even your sugar daddy the great George “rape your currency for my personal gain” Soros isn’t that stupid and blind.

Obama is breaking every promise he made to you. Why? Because now he has to run the whole country not just south Chicago. There is way more to the game than his uber liberal mentors ever let on to him. He is discovering that, yes, you have to make money to spend it and the treasury printing press doesn’t count. But do you liberals cut him slack? No, you berate him and start the same vitriol and hatred you used to reserve for Bush. My God, your intellectual narcissism is at an all time high. But let me tell you something Robby the lawyer and DNC operative spy, you ain’t that smart buster and your past military service doesn’t cover the sin of your current occupation. So save all the phony indignation for someone who doesn’t know you (which because of your foolish publishing of your family’s name would be hard to find anywhere in the world). So cough up the wealth for your feel good crap, put your money where your mouth is, Rob, spy, Gestapo member or STFU.

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