Taxes are ticking me off

Emotional response to an issue

Published on June 12, 2004 By Draginol In Business

For some reason, it really pisses me off when someone argues that corporations aren't paying enough in taxes. And it really pisses me off when someone argues that there's these large tax shelters or loopholes.

For a few days I couldn't figure out exactly why it ticks me off so much. I debate tons of issues on this site and none of them get me mad. Heck, sometimes I take up the opposing point of view just for a good debate. But on taxes, something about them really irritates me.

I have identified the feeling though. It is the same feeling I get when non-parents try to give me and my wife parental advice. If you don't kids, shut the hell up when it comes to telling me how to raise mine. It's one of those instant-reactions. Where the anger and irritation bursts out before you've had time to fully process it.

I pay a lot in taxes. Nothing compared to the super-rich. But I think 6 figures in taxes qualifies me to be someone who is "paying their fair share". As someone whose first job was taking out the trash to the dumpster for welfare mothers, I have gone from being poor to being pretty well off. So I know, from experience, that an able bodied person only needs to work hard and focus on things to be reasonably successful. So it really irritates me that so many people try to play the victim when the fault lies with them.

I can deal with paying taxes. What I can't deal with are people who pay little or no taxes bitching that people like me should be paying even more. Or claiming that companies, as a rule, get out of paying their "fair share" (or "rich" individuals) by showing an example of some individual company or person who scammed the system.

Like my feeling on kids, if you're not paying significant amounts of taxes, shut the hell up about bitching that the government's not doing enough for "the poor". That's my feeling on it anyway. I have little sympathy for poor people as a general rule (as my articles make clear). I grew up as one of them and amongst them and most of them (not all but most) were just a bunch of losers who took no personal responsibility for their idiotic decisions or laziness. Or they were people with minor mental or physical disabilities that let those things become an excuse for sitting back and becoming a professional victim.

If you're poor in the United States as a 30+ year old, you probably have no one to blame but yourself (unless you're physically disabled). Don't blame the government. Don't blame politicans. Don't blame "the rich". Suck it up and make someting of yourself.

Comments

Mr_Frog

on Jun 12, 2004

That's why I think a flat percentage tax for all would work well. FOR EVERYONE. Let's take 20% right off the top. There. Now everyone has contributed an equal amount of their income as a percentage. you make $6,000 a year, fine. We get $1,200 of that. You make $600,000, we get $120,000. In my opinion, that's the fairest way I can see everyone contributing equally to a system. Flat dollar amounts for everyone doesn't work obviously because $5,000 to someone making $6,000 a year hurts a lot more than $5,000 to someone who's making $50,000 a year.

-- B

BigDreamer415

on Jun 12, 2004

I feel you... I think most of us do. However...

"The media fantasy, aided and abetted by politicians, has convinced the people of the United States of a falsehood, namely, that we are a brutally over-taxed country. The truth is that of all the affluent democracies, Americans are the lowest taxed in the world, including the sum of all local, state, and national taxes. "

quote taken from article: http://www.inequality.org/bagdikian2.html

~Sarah

Jay Walker

on Jun 12, 2004

Dragger,

While it's true that wealthy people and the upper middle class do pay a lot in taxes, they certainly have a lot left over, compared to the working poor struggling to get by.

As a group, the wealthy are an extrordinary lot of whiners, who constantly bemoan their poor unfortunate circumstances. Actually, I find that a huge number of people in the western world don't appreciate their lot in life - well folks, the rest of the world has got its' face pressed against the glass, looking in. They'd love to be in our circumstances, and most especially in the circumstances of those who do pay a lot of tax.

So if we've got to pay a little bit of taxes - tough titty - stop bitching and whining.

Look around the world, count your blessings, and stop your whining.

Draginol

on Jun 12, 2004

Mr_Frog: I'm with you there. No messing around with special deductions. 20% pop.

Jay, you must be pretty new around here. All the whining I see around here are from people saying how poor they are and how the government doesn't do much for them.

I'm not "whining" about taxes. I'm "whining" about people bitching that I don't pay enough while they're sitting on their asses not doing anything.

kingbee

on Jun 13, 2004

i dont think for a second you dont pay enough taxes. my issue with loopholes--for whomever or whatever--is that they dont benefit me. the reason i find it more upsetting when the super wealthy buy themselves an advantage should be obvious. theyre taking advantage of me. its bothersome when those who have barely enough to live on spend the money they receive for assistance on foolishness. it really pisses me off when those who have enough money to live luxuriously feel the need to dip into my pocket--or yours or anyone elses--to be able to pay to have their 5th home redecorated...or to pay the equivalent of a family of four's monthly assistance payment to have their hair done.

Draginol

on Jun 13, 2004

I agree with you totally on that Kingbee: Loopholes and other thigns that individuals can do to get out of paying taxes is disgusting.

My point is that those loopholes aren't indicative or representative of the tax system as a whole.

kingbee

on Jun 13, 2004

without meaning to cast aspersions on legislative ethics, im totally at a loss as to any other reason the tax industry attracts so many lawyers, the congress so many lobbyists or so many business entities expend large sums to support both candidates in a two-person contest. altruism?

Madine

on Jun 13, 2004

im totally at a loss as to any other reason the tax industry attracts so many lawyers

A major reason is that the tax code is several books long. It's crazy.

JakeD

on Jun 14, 2004

I've been on both sides of the fence Drag. To the province next to me there is much booming. Where you can flip burgers and get paid 12 bucks an hour in some places. Then there are more economically downtrodden places. Like my birthplace where with my two diplomas I am making marginally more than a burger flipper. Education does not always equal good pay. Rather I find there are properous locales and not so prosperous places. For myself relocation was not an option.

I am not so much disagreeing but I would move that target age of 30 to 40 in the less affluent parts of the coutnry.

stevendedalus

on Jun 14, 2004

While it's true that wealthy people and the upper middle class do pay a lot in taxes, they certainly have a lot left over, compared to the working poor struggling to get by.

This is the crux of what I have pointed out many times: the issue is the amount of money left over after taxes wherein the true dirty wash comes out.

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