Pay More Income Tax

Massachusetts has that famous non-representative democratic institution, the referendum, where the populace is not swayed by facts or statistics but by advertising and slogans. This year, the libertarians have managed to get a repeal of the income tax on the ballot. A better venue for half-truths and out and out fabrications can't be found outside of a presidential debate.

So, let me be clear on my position. I like paying income taxes. Taxes are the usage fees of society. That's worth repeating. Taxes are the usage fees of society. Income taxes appropriately tax those who have used society more than those who have not.

I make a good wage. I'm not going to lose any more money to taxes according to the plan of Mister Obama, but I can see the country from here. Why should some single mother who makes a quarter of what I do pay the same taxes? A 25% bite on me is much smaller than a 25% bite on her. The fairest way to scale taxes is by that same income. I'm using the system more than that woman and therefore should pay more.

The least fair way to apportion out the usage fees of society is a constant value system such as property taxes. Property taxes are applied to all owners of property equally. Therefore, that mythical single woman who makes 1/4 of what I do, but might have inherited 100 acres from her farmer uncle, is taxed more. If she can't pay, she has to put the property up for sale. Maybe she'll make money. Maybe not. In any case, the land gets developed and, up here in Massacusetts where the land is pretty much overdeveloped, that's a bad thing.

Instead, I think we should pay more income tax. And do away with property taxes. Income tax is the best and fairest way to pay for society.

So, who wants to get rid of income tax? Well, I see two groups: the greedy and the stupid. Those who make a fair amount of money (I'm in this group) are taxed disproportionately to those that don't make very much. Why is this surprising? We have been given disproportionate advantages by society. We should pay more. In my example, I work for a company that pays a sizable health benefit. I get a really good salary. I get vacation time. I get various transportation subsidies. I went to school on the NDSL program.

Now, to be sure, I was able to navigate the software industry very well and managed to turn liabilities into assets. But that very software industry is itself a product of societal mechanisms. Anybody who thinks industries are only inventive people with merely the sweat of their brow and imagination is mistaken. Every industry has at its root societal mechanisms that enable its existence. The internet was invented by DARPA under government subsidy. It continues to be subsidized in that it is exempt from certain taxes. Therefore, the s/w industry in which I managed to make a good living was a product of societal decisions and I took advantage of it! It follows that I should pay for that-- otherwise I'm a mere parasite.

We all should pay for infrastructure-- public health, roads and bridges, public transportation, maintaining transparency in the free market, information transfer, education-- because we all benefit. A population of critical thinkers makes for a better republic. Part of the reason I think we have so many political and social problems is that we have neglected educating ourselves. For example, rabid environmentalists could benefit from understanding finance. Rabid free marketers could benefit from understanding a little elementary biology. Bad drivers could benefit from a basic understanding of physics. It is a matter of civic health to be better informed and to have a good infrastructure. With my salary, I'm able to benefit more than others. People who make less, benefit less and should pay less. People who make more, benefit more and should pay more.

In my opinion, since repeal of the income tax only benefits people who pay tax and benefits most those who pay a lot of tax, we should consider who's behind the movement. I see two groups: fanatics who will sacrifice anything to follow an ideology and rich folks who don't want to pay their fair share. I don't want them running my state.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Political Links
Obama's Lies
McCain Stock
The Race to the Bottom

Links of Interest
Nice Discussion of Algis Budrys and here
Against Transcendence
Dino Dance Floor
Jurassic Ark and here
Fusion, Antimatter and the Space Drive
Project Daedalus
SloMo Saturn V Launch
Vision for Space Exploration
Exofly. No need to wonder why.
Buy your own meteorite
Enceladus Flyby
Comet Holmes
Dark Matter
Miguel Alcubierre and FTL
Punkin' Chunkin'