Tricky Politics by Chelle Stockman

Tricky Politics

By Chelle Stockman

 (486 words)

It’s campaign time and our wannabe representatives are digging out the old issues from their trusty bags of symptoms.  Featured on the marquis for this election we shall see outsourcing of industry, in-sourcing of cheap labor (illegal immigrants), surging energy and fuel costs, the success rate of educational test scores under No Child Left Behind, and unaffordable healthcare.

 

We, the potential voter, will be courted with slick marketing slogans appealing to our emotions while good sense will be delegated to the rear to make room so the all-too-common sense can take its place in the forefront.

 

Change, the old liberal concept, will be the theme song during this campaign as politicians offer comfort under a weighty blanket of symptoms.  Both conservatives and liberals continue to adequately address my concerns but they scurry to patch holes on the aged and overburdened levee that can no longer contain the plethora of symptoms we are flooded with.  The tides of our demise are rising steadily and not one seems brave enough to address the causes.

 

Some would say the real problem is caused by taxation.  I’d say it is the way taxes are garnished.  In America, there are 86,764 government institutions that income taxes are paid to.  Of all the income tax collected, taxes paid by corporations fell from 33% in the 1940s to 15% in the 1990s while taxes paid by legal citizens rose from 44% in the 1940s to 73% in the 1990s.

 

In addition to the income taxes paid, the poorest to the wealthiest Americans may be paying up to 49 different taxes including sales and use taxes.  Note, this does not include the privatized taxation we call “insurance” or the fees and surcharges they tack on their invoices.

 

Until our political representatives address taxation and the mandates upon the people to carry insurance, this monster of a globalized playground might offer American taxpayers an opportunity to be outsourced to other lands. 

 

We need a bold reform, one that simplifies, such as eradicating all taxes but one—a consumer tax with all goods purchased being paid at the time of sales.  It doesn't have to be a high tax like the sales taxes in California, but instead could be a 2% consumer tax on foods and any goods.  Note, insurance isn't a “good”, it’s a privatized tax. Offer no tax breaks to corporations or people with a gazillion kids; no tax breaks will be necessary.  Everyone from the poorest to the wealthiest will be paying taxes, even those on welfare.  I spoke to Christine in the Texas Democrat Committee office and she said, “That would be an unfair burden on the poor.”  She obviously doesn’t understand that we pay over 7% sales tax here in California on everything but food plus use and fuel taxes.

 

It’s time for a change.  I just hope it isn’t too late to right the wrongs.

 

 

Chelle Stockman