Wade, my 9th grade English teacher use to say a good piece of writing should be like a girls skirt, long enough to cover the subject but short enough to make it interesting.

Your whole theory of a world without taxes is really interesting in fairytale land - but in the real world civilizations just needs shit paid for by public funds.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

1. Today, your teacher would be chastised or disciplined, perhaps at an emergency school board meeting called for said purpose, for saying such a thing.

2. I actually didn't call for a world without taxes. As long as government is deemed necessary, taxes will be necessary to pay for it. Governments are not self-financing organizations, never have been, never will be.

3. Nor am I so naive to call for a world without government. I don't think we're mature enough for it. (We probably were 225 years ago, but that's another debate.)

4. And so I'm not so naive to call for an end to taxes. But I do think it is important for people to know that whatever public necessity they might choose to "justify" taxes, whatever the taxes might be, those taxes will be inherently destructive of economic value and the production of said value.

And that the more taxes one deems necessary, whatever those taxes might be, will be more destructive.

I think that's important. And I think that it's something we too often forget as we press to fix the "needs" of the moment.





[Well, I was a *bit* shorter that time. [grin1] ]

Originally Posted by: Wade 

It means capital gains is taxed too low. Yeah, I agree with you, capital gains should be taxed at the 39% rate.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

That's not what I said. I said that capital gains should be tied to your income tax rate. A flat 39% for everyone is pretty silly. I also think rates should be lowered across the board and virtually all deductions eliminated to compensate which affects the capital gains rates as well, but that's another story.

Originally Posted by: Porforis 

Well Porforis, the tax code has been exploiting the worker forever, now it's time for all the people making money for nothing to take their turn at getting bent over. Seems perfectly fair to me.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

why oh why do i keep entering these 'tax' threads when all it does is irritate me beyond words?!? glutton for punishment apparently.

*sigh

Originally Posted by: 4PackGirl 

Investments ranging from stocks in publically held companies, to municipal bonds and treasuries do nothing for society, apparently.

Originally Posted by: Porforis