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The only problem with healthcare, as opposed to college, is that you can't say "settle for second best" with healthcare.
People want the best health care, all the time. college, you can tell your kid, he can't go to the best institution, but the local ones that cost less, they can attend. Usually with federal grants that pay for most of the tuition, and loans to pay for the rest of it.
With healthcare, its hard to tell someone, "Well, we can't give you a MRI for your headache, but we can give you an xray, and some aspirin."
You think I can just walk into the Mayo Clinic and say "I have Medicare"?
Interesting readings: The authority of the federal government to collect its income tax depends upon the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the federal income tax amendment, which was allegedly ratified in 1913. After a year of extensive research, Bill Benson discovered that the 16th Amendment was not ratified by the required 3/4 of the states, but nevertheless Secretary of State Philander Knox fraudulently announced ratification. The Law That Never Was -- The Fraud of Income & Social Security Tax -- Home
I believe we should have only one tax and that tax would be a progressive rate Federal Income Tax collected by the Federal government. That tax would have a base deductable set at the 85 percentile and the rates would be in proportion to the income similar to the rates used in 1950. This way the people that own the country would pay for maintaining their property. All income from all sources would be counted including inheritances and capital gains. The complexity of the current tax code would be eliminated. There would also be Federal tariffs to eliminate and import cost advantage due to labor and environmental considerations. Federal excise taxes on liquor and cigarettes would also be eliminated.
States, cities and towns would also be required to drop all property and sales taxes and institute a surtax paid based on the Federal income tax collected in their locations. This would free up multi billions of dollars for consumptive spending by the lower 85th percentile while discouraging imperial excess because the beneficiaries would have to pay for their dreams.
Interesting readings: The authority of the federal government to collect its income tax depends upon the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the federal income tax amendment, which was allegedly ratified in 1913. After a year of extensive research, Bill Benson discovered that the 16th Amendment was not ratified by the required 3/4 of the states, but nevertheless Secretary of State Philander Knox fraudulently announced ratification. The Law That Never Was -- The Fraud of Income & Social Security Tax -- Home
The IRS disagrees (http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=159932,00.html#_Toc224375598 - broken link), but by all means, go ahead and try it. Take a toothbrush to court, because the courts agree with the IRS-- scroll down the page I linked to and you'll find the case where the argument put forward in "The Law That Never Was" was shot down. And here's the page (http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=160687,00.html - broken link) where the IRS tells you what they can do to you for advancing arguments found to be frivolous.
No one likes taxes, but to paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes, "taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society".
The reason we don't raise revenue through one tax like the income tax, or a sales tax is simply because there are different ideas about who should pay for the services that government provides and in what amount. Those who support a graduated income tax tend to believe the rich should pay for most of the burden of government. Those who support sales tax often believe that all should pay for government services. Local government agencies often charge fees for individual services they provide. This reflects the notion that those who receive government services ought to be ones who pay for them.
All of these ideas have some merit. No one has a monopoly on wisdom. I have come to the conclusion that fair tax policies should require that EVERYONE pay something and that the RICH OR WELL-TO-DO pay more than others. I don't like the idea that some people are exempt from paying income tax because they earn too little. I think the wealthy should have to pay more than they do in social security taxes, even if their benefits have maxed out.
The idea that the income tax is unconstitutional is silly. The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution was specifically enacted to make the income tax constitutional. Anyone who makes the argument that its unconstitutional and that we shouldn't pay it is wrong and just asking for trouble. I don't see it as a matter of being a civil libertarian or standing on principle. Its a matter of thumbing your nose at settled law. Also, the motives of someone like this are suspect. Martin Luther King went to jail and disobeyed laws that discriminated against black people. A tax protestor goes to jail because he is too miserly or greedy to fulfill his obligation as a citizen.
Those who oppose taxes ought to think about the sacrifices that those who died for their nation made. I have an uncle who died fighting in World War II. My wife has an uncle who died in the same conflict. Is it really so much to ask that we pay our taxes honestly without whining and crying? Some have sacrificed much more than money.
The only problem with healthcare, as opposed to college, is that you can't say "settle for second best" with healthcare.
People want the best health care, all the time. college, you can tell your kid, he can't go to the best institution, but the local ones that cost less, they can attend. Usually with federal grants that pay for most of the tuition, and loans to pay for the rest of it.
With healthcare, its hard to tell someone, "Well, we can't give you a MRI for your headache, but we can give you an xray, and some aspirin."
On the college thing, it's way too simplistic to say everyone can go to college. Grants are not available to everyone- student loans are usually the only available option. Sure, go ahead and take out $30,000 worth of student loans- but there is a price to pay for that- as in, large monthly payments after college! Sometimes so big that a person can't afford to get by after college, even when working in their chosen field. It would be great if there were grants to truly help people make college affordable, but they are simply not there. When I went to college I got a few tiny grants- not enough to pay for more than maybe one or two of my books each semester- but yet I was in need, my family didn't make enough money to help me with my tuition at all.
The judge will do what the law is and sentence you to jial regardless of how you feel about the law. Might as well beat yoiur head aginst a wall in protest and then no one cares and moves on while your in jail.
Our entire nation is founded on the principle that the weak and foolish subsidize the strong and wise. That is more civilized than brutal strong-arm theft, if your goal is to concentrate the wealth in the hands of a small greedy class.
Why should tax policies be any different from any other market phenomenon? Let the greedy avoid taxes, and force the meek to pay them. Isn't that what America is all about?
jur88 - there is nothing like a tradition going back to before we were human. Might makes right and nothing else matters.
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