“No nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity.” ― Rush Limbaugh
The old saying is that death and taxes are inevitable. Taxes are incentives or disincentives for us. For example, states are adding highway use taxes as some consumers have shifted to hybrid or electric cars. The question of who pays the tax burden is passed from generation to generation. Also, taxes are progressive or regressive. Sales taxes are regressive and income taxes are more progressive.
According to the Tax Foundation, the top 10 percent in terms of income levels pay 71.4% of the share of total income taxes in the US. Also, the top 25 percent pay 87 percent of all income taxes. So when Democrats claim that the wealthy in this country are not paying their fair share of taxes that simply is not true.
Tax Freedom Day is significant because it represents how long Americans as a whole have to work in order just to pay the nation’s tax burden. This year’s Tax Freedom Day was on April 17th. So for 3 ½ months this year we as a nation didn’t work for ourselves—we worked just to pay all of our taxes. Democrats in the Oregon Legislature and in Congress are out spending like drunken sailors. They are anxious to raise taxes and spend more of taxpayers’ hard earned dollars.
High taxes discourage work, investment and economic growth. President John F. Kennedy understood the need for lower taxes when he said, “A tax cut means higher family income and higher business profits and a balanced federal budget. As the national income grows, the federal government will ultimately end up with more revenues. Prosperity is the real way to balance our budget. By lowering tax rates, by increasing jobs and income, we can expand tax revenues and finally bring our budget into balance.”
Of course there are other ways to look at taxes. Will Rogers said, “It is a good thing that we do not get as much government as we pay for.”
More taxes mean bigger government and less economic freedom. Businesses look at tax liabilities when they consider starting a business in a certain state. Some states have income taxes while others do not.
Effective the first of this year, the Eugene City Council voted in a new payroll tax for Eugene workers—without even going to voters for approval. Called “The Community Safety Payroll Tax,” the Council will spend tax dollars on “homeless reduction efforts”—in other words, on those who are not working.
The tax and spend attitude of Democrats at all levels of government is crushing American families. President Biden’s proposed Green New Deal and repeated stimulus checks add to our deficit and result in new taxes for Americans. It’s not free money. Someone has to pay for it and that someone is us. Creating more tax disincentives for Americans will cause less productivity in the economy and additional inflation.
It is time for Lane County Republicans to get involved in the local party office in Pleasant Hill to plan for the upcoming gubernatorial race. We expect the Congressional Midterm elections next year will swing our way due to political backlash caused by the Democrats’ radicalism and power grabs. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich noted recently that the last two Democratic presidents both saw their party suffer huge losses in the House in their first midterm elections. Now is the time for Republicans to work together to bring back our Republican ideals to Americans who sorely need them.
Signed,
The Trunk Line (anonymous)
