Question for consumption tax supporters (illegal, dollars, elect, quotes)
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What is your point with this thread? Please explain clearly what your personal situation with your internet connection has to do with consumption taxes. I'm not getting the link.
It's quite simple:
Spending Is Not The Same As Consumption. Poor people often pay more than the middle class while getting less ("utility" if you will).
For example, Bob and Carol might not have a car or a nearby supermarket, perhaps they walk to Ray's Rapacious Ripoff for groceries, and buy 3 pounds of California oranges for $3.99. In a middle class neighborhood across town, Ted and Alice shop at at SuperMegaMart and buy 5 pounds of Florida oranges for $3.49.
Ted and Alice clearly "consumed" more than Bob and Carol, considering that they got 5 pounds of superior oranges while Bob and Carol got 3 pounds of inferior oranges...pay less, get more, and pay less tax to boot.
I figure it's bad enough to be poor and to have fewer consumer options, but to also pay more tax while getting less, that's too much for me.
Spending Is Not The Same As Consumption. Poor people often pay more than the middle class while getting less ("utility" if you will).
For example, Bob and Carol might not have a car or a nearby supermarket, perhaps they walk to Ray's Rapacious Ripoff for groceries, and buy 3 pounds of California oranges for $3.99. In a middle class neighborhood across town, Ted and Alice shop at at SuperMegaMart and buy 5 pounds of Florida oranges for $3.49.
Ted and Alice clearly "consumed" more than Bob and Carol, considering that they got 5 pounds of superior oranges while Bob and Carol got 3 pounds of inferior oranges...pay less, get more, and pay less tax to boot.
I figure it's bad enough to be poor and to have fewer consumer options, but to also pay more tax while getting less, that's too much for me.
Clothing? Good question. Truthfully I have never considered it. I'll have to think on it.
Housing? We have to. We don't directly tax shelter though. You don't pay a tax on rent. You do pay property tax on a house if you own it though. That pays for local schools, roads and infrastructure.
I have the worst internet provider in North America. I'm paying for broadband and getting median speed slower than dialup. My neighbor Chris is getting something like 30x my speed and my data transfer and he's paying less than I am.
Whose consumption is greater, and who should pay more tax?
You need to switch to Chris' provider. This isn't a good example of applied flat taxation.
Chris buys a 2013 Lambo and you buy a 2013 Ford Focus, who should pay more tax?
Food (groceries) should never be taxed unless it's prepared, then it becomes more of a luxury than a necessity, unless of course, it's caviar and champagne.
A fair flat tax makes perfect sense. Much better than income tax with a VAT heaped on top of all the other fees we pay. We could see top earners paying 70% or more and this is stealing.
As far as clothing goes; People who make less buy accordingly (Walmart, Kohls, Target), so their taxes will be less. Wealthy people buy Coach, Armani, Gucci, Chanel...etc. They don;t buy clothing, they buy fashion and thus would pay through the nose for their habits.
In America, governments are instituted to secure rights. Ergo, rights are never subject to taxation.
Government can only levy a tax on the privileges it grants.
So what transformed one's right to consume (buy / sell) into a revenue taxable privilege?
Things may have changed, but I thought all you need is a heartbeat to qualify for a cell phone.
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