Let me tell you how it will be/There’s one for you nineteen for me…
- George Harrison(Taxman)
Fresh off the heels of last month’s Tax Cut rally at the State Capitol and of course with the weighty burden of taxation lifted from my shoulders (if only temporarily) given that I recently sent them off, it’s fitting that I would indeed have taxes on the brain. That aside, I’ll admit that I do indeed spend a fair amount of time discussing the matter of taxes and taxation amongst my conservative brethren. It is without question one of the most important of political subjects in my opinion. Be that as it may, I should confess however that were it not for the Democratic triumph both on the state and federal level, which has brought with it a literal tsunami of increased taxation presently washing over us, I suppose it’s possible (albeit unlikely) that perhaps I wouldn’t be discussing the issue on such a continuous basis.
Our second president John Adams is attributed to having once said, “Facts are stubborn things…” And indeed they are my friends. Now, contrary to liberal belief and contrary to what you may have heard or read in any number of skewed publications, you ought to know full well who’s shouldering the tax burden on both the state and/or federal level. Why, it’s the wealthy and there are plenty of credible studies which prove this fact. But, because such fact is indeed stubborn, you and I are subjected to idiot speak which paints the wealthy as a champagne sipping, tax dodging crowd not paying their fair share. And, as you will soon learn, the Minnesota DFL’s definition of “wealthy” is a far cry from that top 1% for which they apparently loathe. According to the recently released Minnesota Department of Revenue biennial tax incidence study (comprised of 2004 data), the top 10 percent of seemingly “wealthy Minnesotans” are those raking in an apparently exorbitant $105,450 (a figure which might include a married couple filing jointly). This top 10% of earners contributed $3.2 billion of the state’s total $5.8 billion income tax collection (forget the calculator it’s 55%) in 2004. And, lest we forget those who are loathed, the top 1% of Minnesota’s earners (incomes exceeding $354,758) deserve, not condemnation in my opinion but perhaps, an apology for having been saddled with 24 percent of the burden. And, the study goes on to find, that after crediting the $33.5 billion afforded to the state’s bottom 20 percent of earners through refunds, their income tax contribution amounts to zero. Now, the idiot speak spewing from the mouths of Minnesota DFLers like Larry Pogemiller, John Lesch, Nick Coleman and the rest of the editorial staff at the Star Tribune, will continue to lie and misconstrue the facts by insisting that the middle class are getting hosed all the while the wealthy are sunning their buns on some Bahamian beach. Such a falsehood is based on percentages. Now, while middle income earners indeed contribute around 12.4% of their income towards the tax burden to the wealthy’s 9%; in real dollars that amounts to quite a sizeable difference. But, while the question as to who’s paying the burden has been asked and answered time and time again, what’s often been left to speculation is precisely which Americans are reaping the governmental benefit. Consider yourselves forewarned whilst we brace for more of those “stubborn facts”.
In a separate special report recently released by the Tax Foundation, which fully supported the findings of the Minnesota tax incidence’s statistics, “America’s lowest-earning one-fifth of households received roughly $8.21 in government spending for each dollar of taxes paid in 2004. Households with middle-incomes received $1.30 per tax dollar (nearly breaking even), while America’s highest-earning households received a mere $.41 in government spending to their tax dollar.” The report further found that “government spending targeted at the lowest-earning 60% of U.S. households is larger than what they paid in federal, state, and local taxes.” Case in point, the wealthy are subsidizing the poor and, as the report indicates, to an estimated tune of between $1.03 and $1.53 trillion dollars (that’s right I said TRILLION) which was redistributed from the two highest income quintiles to the three lowest. Are these not startling facts indeed? And yet, despite the stubbornness which lies herein, liberal Democrats will continue to insist that any sense of what is unfair is not unfair on the part of the individuals who produce and contribute only to receive nothing in return. Rather, liberal ideology finds that that which is unfair is unfair on the part of an individual who contributes nothing yet is afforded the benefit in excess. It bears a striking similarity to Marxism does it not; “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And, while Minnesota’s liberal DFLers continue to tout the burden on the middle class, their Marxist solution of raising the current tax rates, for the sole sake of redistribution, does absolutely nothing in providing much needed tax relief on Minnesota’s working class. Such failure in their legislative proposals exposes their true colors. They care more about government’s budget than they care about yours.
And yet, the continued pursuit of this ignoble cause under the false guise of compassion has, in America, done nothing but foster our current welfare state. While continuing to laud education, achievement, and success, government in turn creates a vacuum which stifles these very things. But, most importantly, while these things are stifled in actuality the greater damage lies in deteriorating the individual spirit which pursues it. Be it known that when we tax something we get less of it, while conversely if we subsidize something we get more of it. Continuing to pursue a progressive tax structure in our state and in our country, one that is unfair as it rises with one’s income, we bestow to younger generations that achievement, success, and the soul desire to produce are not things to be rewarded but to be taken away for the sake of redistributing.
I declare that, what we need at once is fair taxation; one that is in accord with the very principles of freedom and liberty; one that is not a hindrance to one’s individual spirit or their personal desires and achievements, or one’s fortitude towards progress in an upward fashion. For, so long as we continue this Marxist view of redistribution, there will be no incentive for those at the bottom to seek flight and, most importantly, no incentive for those at the top to continue soaring.
- George Harrison(Taxman)
Fresh off the heels of last month’s Tax Cut rally at the State Capitol and of course with the weighty burden of taxation lifted from my shoulders (if only temporarily) given that I recently sent them off, it’s fitting that I would indeed have taxes on the brain. That aside, I’ll admit that I do indeed spend a fair amount of time discussing the matter of taxes and taxation amongst my conservative brethren. It is without question one of the most important of political subjects in my opinion. Be that as it may, I should confess however that were it not for the Democratic triumph both on the state and federal level, which has brought with it a literal tsunami of increased taxation presently washing over us, I suppose it’s possible (albeit unlikely) that perhaps I wouldn’t be discussing the issue on such a continuous basis.
Our second president John Adams is attributed to having once said, “Facts are stubborn things…” And indeed they are my friends. Now, contrary to liberal belief and contrary to what you may have heard or read in any number of skewed publications, you ought to know full well who’s shouldering the tax burden on both the state and/or federal level. Why, it’s the wealthy and there are plenty of credible studies which prove this fact. But, because such fact is indeed stubborn, you and I are subjected to idiot speak which paints the wealthy as a champagne sipping, tax dodging crowd not paying their fair share. And, as you will soon learn, the Minnesota DFL’s definition of “wealthy” is a far cry from that top 1% for which they apparently loathe. According to the recently released Minnesota Department of Revenue biennial tax incidence study (comprised of 2004 data), the top 10 percent of seemingly “wealthy Minnesotans” are those raking in an apparently exorbitant $105,450 (a figure which might include a married couple filing jointly). This top 10% of earners contributed $3.2 billion of the state’s total $5.8 billion income tax collection (forget the calculator it’s 55%) in 2004. And, lest we forget those who are loathed, the top 1% of Minnesota’s earners (incomes exceeding $354,758) deserve, not condemnation in my opinion but perhaps, an apology for having been saddled with 24 percent of the burden. And, the study goes on to find, that after crediting the $33.5 billion afforded to the state’s bottom 20 percent of earners through refunds, their income tax contribution amounts to zero. Now, the idiot speak spewing from the mouths of Minnesota DFLers like Larry Pogemiller, John Lesch, Nick Coleman and the rest of the editorial staff at the Star Tribune, will continue to lie and misconstrue the facts by insisting that the middle class are getting hosed all the while the wealthy are sunning their buns on some Bahamian beach. Such a falsehood is based on percentages. Now, while middle income earners indeed contribute around 12.4% of their income towards the tax burden to the wealthy’s 9%; in real dollars that amounts to quite a sizeable difference. But, while the question as to who’s paying the burden has been asked and answered time and time again, what’s often been left to speculation is precisely which Americans are reaping the governmental benefit. Consider yourselves forewarned whilst we brace for more of those “stubborn facts”.
In a separate special report recently released by the Tax Foundation, which fully supported the findings of the Minnesota tax incidence’s statistics, “America’s lowest-earning one-fifth of households received roughly $8.21 in government spending for each dollar of taxes paid in 2004. Households with middle-incomes received $1.30 per tax dollar (nearly breaking even), while America’s highest-earning households received a mere $.41 in government spending to their tax dollar.” The report further found that “government spending targeted at the lowest-earning 60% of U.S. households is larger than what they paid in federal, state, and local taxes.” Case in point, the wealthy are subsidizing the poor and, as the report indicates, to an estimated tune of between $1.03 and $1.53 trillion dollars (that’s right I said TRILLION) which was redistributed from the two highest income quintiles to the three lowest. Are these not startling facts indeed? And yet, despite the stubbornness which lies herein, liberal Democrats will continue to insist that any sense of what is unfair is not unfair on the part of the individuals who produce and contribute only to receive nothing in return. Rather, liberal ideology finds that that which is unfair is unfair on the part of an individual who contributes nothing yet is afforded the benefit in excess. It bears a striking similarity to Marxism does it not; “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And, while Minnesota’s liberal DFLers continue to tout the burden on the middle class, their Marxist solution of raising the current tax rates, for the sole sake of redistribution, does absolutely nothing in providing much needed tax relief on Minnesota’s working class. Such failure in their legislative proposals exposes their true colors. They care more about government’s budget than they care about yours.
And yet, the continued pursuit of this ignoble cause under the false guise of compassion has, in America, done nothing but foster our current welfare state. While continuing to laud education, achievement, and success, government in turn creates a vacuum which stifles these very things. But, most importantly, while these things are stifled in actuality the greater damage lies in deteriorating the individual spirit which pursues it. Be it known that when we tax something we get less of it, while conversely if we subsidize something we get more of it. Continuing to pursue a progressive tax structure in our state and in our country, one that is unfair as it rises with one’s income, we bestow to younger generations that achievement, success, and the soul desire to produce are not things to be rewarded but to be taken away for the sake of redistributing.
I declare that, what we need at once is fair taxation; one that is in accord with the very principles of freedom and liberty; one that is not a hindrance to one’s individual spirit or their personal desires and achievements, or one’s fortitude towards progress in an upward fashion. For, so long as we continue this Marxist view of redistribution, there will be no incentive for those at the bottom to seek flight and, most importantly, no incentive for those at the top to continue soaring.
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