Suspend Taxes and All Other Non-Voluntary Payments During the Pandemic
Today is Tax Day, and while the deadline is extended, I don’t feel that’s enough. During this pandemic, I believe government should suspend taxes — the only non-voluntary payment currently required.
I see people call for a suspension of rent, mortgages or student loans. I believe those are voluntary contractual agreements which you should resolve with your lender, not the government. If home owners or landlords don’t pay property taxes, the State seizes their land.
Think about how much we pay in cumulative taxes annually. Federal income, state income, sales, excise, fuel, property (which gets passed on to tenants as rent increases), payroll, B&O, capital gains, gift, use, luxury, corporate, heck there’s even an unemployment tax! With an estimated 30 to 50 percent of our income going to government via taxes, is it any surprise citizens live paycheck to paycheck?
Moreover, the $1200 “stimulus” check is nothing more than an advance on your tax refund. Think about it, the government is giving you your own money back! Why not let people keep 100 percent of what they earn? Because we hit $24 trillion in national debt on Friday. We have another $100+ trillion in unfunded liabilities. The government doesn’t have money to give away. It has to print more to keep this monetary facade afloat.
Tax Hikes Are Immoral
It is morally wrong during a time when so many are struggling, Seattle City Council politicians want to push a tax hike. Kshama Sawant and ilk currently propose a 1.3% tax increase on companies with an annual payroll of $7 million a year or more. This breaks out to a minimum of $91,000 in taxes. Instead of stealing more of our money, politicians should suspend taxes so that money goes back into the local economy.
Lastly, before someone says, “taxes are the price we pay for living in a civilized society.” We didn’t have a federal income tax until 1894. The law called for a flat 2% tax on all incomes above $4,000. At that time it affected less than 10 percent of the population, which explains the popularity. In 1895 SCOTUS ruled the Income Tax #unconstitutional. It wasn’t until 1913 when three-fifths of Congress ratified the Sixteenth Amendment (IDK, maybe they promised people *free* stuff) did Uncle Sam have the power to steal our income.
Taxes Hurt Everyone — Except Politicians
What’s happening today isn’t a right or left, black or white issue. It’s about freedom and liberty versus dependence. We don’t live in a free society, because if we don’t pay taxes, we go to jail. If you believe we should be free to keep what we earn, call your local, state and federal representatives. Tell them no more tax hikes during a pandemic. Suspend tax collections and let people be free to keep what they earn. It’s a radical concept. However, I believe humans are more empowered when we care for each other through voluntary measures than the use of government force.
If you’re radical too, join me in a social distance protest. I’ll be at Seattle City Hall today from noon to 3PM, holding this sign, smoking a joint and not letting a pandemic suppress my Freedom of Speech.
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