Atlas Burdened

…Speaking of which, we are approaching a dangerous milestone:

…As it stands now, the numbers show that a shrinking majority of Americans are actually paying taxes. The tax system is inching dangerously close to becoming fully funded by a minority of the population. The top 50 percent of wage earners pay 96.54 percent of all income taxes.

So what do you say? Let the “rich” top 50 percent pay the taxes, right? Based on 2003 Internal Revenue Service data, the top 50 percent of wage earners included all individuals and jointly filing couples earning $29,019 or more. These are not the people that are stereotypically associated with the word “rich.” However, when politicians talk about how only the rich get tax breaks, these particular taxpayers are included in those sentiments.

…Politicians and lobbyists complain that the tax cuts do not give enough money back to this country’s poor. Some people will balk at this next statement, but it is empirically sound. There is no way to cut taxes on the lower-income 50 percent of this country when the lower 50 percent do not pay any income taxes!

The danger here is seen in the current leadership. Traditionally, overspending and entitlement program growth have been liberal problems, but now it is spreading to certain Republican leadership.  These alleged Republicans have violated their conservative beliefs in favor of incumbent pork barrel spending.

I'd even say most Republican leadership, including, unfortunately, the president.

…The final scenario that ends all hope of true tax reform is as follows: Less than 50 percent of the population pays 99 percent or more of the federal income tax bill. In the event that the majority of people no longer pays taxes, the politicians — who now barely pay attention to the calls for tax reform — will have no incentive to even consider reform. This is the final scenario that ends all hope of true tax reform.

We must avoid this situation at all costs. It will change our capitalist-based system into a socialist system of wealth redistribution. The United States of America must not allow itself to slide so far to the left that the sometimes attractive but continually disproved practices of socialism pervade the nation.

Once upon a time, there lived an old woman with a goose that laid golden eggs.  We haven't learned a lot since Aesop, have we?