Don't Tax You, Don't Tax Me...

           ...Tax the Man Behind the Tree.

                                                           Benjamin Franklin, 1789  

If we go way, way back, we find that our progenitors, the homo erectus from which we all sprung, were so-called "hunter/gatherers."

They followed herds of animals, killing one every now and then for its meat and its hide.  They did that for several hundred thousand years.  Starting about 400,000 years ago.  More or less.  The archeologists and the paleontologists and the various "ologists" continue to argue about just when they first appeared, but let's just agree it was a long time ago.

They would pitch their camp, using animal skins for their tents.  Sometimes they would gather with other hunter/gatherers and camp together for mutual safety.  Keeping that saber tooth tiger at bay, doncha' know.  And sometimes they would form a group to hunt and camp together.

It wasn't long before these camps grew to several dozen, even hundred, with the hunters doing the hunting, and their womenfolk doing the cooking and seiwing and other chores.  

And before long these encampments were so large they needed to elect a mayor.  Or chieftain.  Somebody to establish rules and regulations governing the actions of all these campers.  And then they hired a sheriff to keep the peace.  And other foks to help run things.  Pretty soon we had a town.  And then they needed to enact taxes to help pay for all the people they had running things.  And that's where I being today's diatribe...

Did you know that our first taxes were 3% of everything over $800 a year?  The Democrats who ran Abe Lincoln's Administration were responsible for that.  It was to help pay for the Civil War.

And then our first Progressive president, Woodrow Wilson, decided to help pass the Tax Revenue Act of 1913.  It taxed our citizens at ther rate of 1% of all income over $8,000 a year.  The die was cast.

And then Roosevelt decided to make that flat tax progressive, with more taxes being levied on those with greater income.  Providing a disincentive to work harder and a reason to cheat.  And that's where we now find our selves. 

Did you know that the top 1% of our income earners pay 38.8% of all income taxes?  And that the top 25% pay 75% of all income taxes?  And that the bottom 50% of our citizens pay only 3.3% of our income taxes?  And yet, the Progressives among us continue to bleat about the "rich" paying their "fair share?"  Are they smoking some of those funny little cigarettes?

So you take a job.  And then get your first pay check.  You'll be smacked in the face with the realization you only receive about 75% of your actual pay.  The rest goes to income taxes, Social Security taxes, and all the other taxes your state chooses to levy.  It's been said that if we were forced to actually write a check on April 15th to the IRS for our taxes, there would be a mass revolt.  Torches and pitchfolks, to be sure!

And then you go buy a cup of overpriced coffee.  And pay 10% for the privelege of paying for it.  Or a new car.  Which now averages $51,140.  That tax means the state gets $5,000 for allowng you to buy that car.  

Or you buy a fishing license.  There's a tax on that.  Or a hunting license.  You can't be a hunter/gatherer today without paying the state for the privelege.  Think about that!  

Or you can live in California and pay the highest personalf income tax of 13.3% of your pay over a certain amount.  In addition to the Federal tax rate of 28.9%.  Add to that your property taxes, which for some is more than their mortgage payment, and you might wind up with a mere pittance of your total earnings.

And then you die.  If you croak in CA or NY or IL or other states that want to pick your bones on the way out, your heirs may have to pay as much as 50% of your estate to The Man.  Or, like CA, you might have to pay 5% of your total Net Worth if you're worth a $Billion or more.  That little craziness is on the ballot this November.  That's why the majority of our 200 $Billionaires are all moving to Texas, or Florida, or Tennessee, or any of the other 27 states that charge no income taxes.  They now pay 51% of all of California's income taxes.  Who do you think they'll be coming after once they go?

Take a look at Las Vegas.  It used to be that you could go there and buy a shrimp cocktail for $0.99.  And dinner for $4.95.  And a room for $15.00.  And then the corporations got involved, like MGM Grand and Ceazars Corp.  They bought up all the casinos on Las Vegas Blvd. and started trying to milk you for every last nickle.  They nick you for $50.00 to park your car.  And $25.00 for a cocktail.  And $185.00 for dinner.  That's why nobody's going there anymore.  

California is Vegas writ large.  Remeber what Mark Twain once said:

 "Trying to tax your way to prosperity is like standing in a bucket and pulling yourself up by the handles."

P.S.  Will the last one out please turn off the lights?