From: phil@netcom.com (Phil Ronzone)
Newsgroups: ba.politics
Subject: Taxes? What have the Romans done for us ...
Date: 10 Nov 92 19:05:03 GMT
Distribution: ba
Organization: Generally in favor of, but mostly random.

Taxes.

The money that the State takes, under threat of coercion, from people to
give to other people so that they will be grateful and keep most of the
upper echelon of the State employees around.

Now, looking at my paycheck, I see that taxes, Social Security, unemployment
insurance and local taxes take 37.5% of my income directly from my paycheck.

When I bought my house, the price was right on the median for what people
in my income bracket were buying (i.e., I wasn't buying either a very
expensive or very cheap house but average).

The real estate taxes and the DMV registration taxes for two vehicles
take 4.6% of my gross income.

37.5% and 4.6% are 42.1% of my gross income.

I purchased my home new. Over $17,000 was for my "share" of the sewer
connections and retirement of the sewer bonds. Amortized over the life
of the bonds, that's another 2.2% of my gross income.

42.2% + 2.2% is 44.4%.

The State (the State of California in this case) takes 8% sales tax on
just about everything. Let's assume I spend all the rest of my money
and it is all spent on taxable items.

44.4% + 8% is 52.4% of my gross income.

The State (both the State of California and the Federal entities) takes
over half my income.

What do I get for this?

In no particular order:

1. Unemployment insurance? I've paid into this since I was working at age 12.
   I may get two or so years of a check that nowhere remotely begins to
   cover my missing paycheck.

2. Social security? The SS check, if I am so unlucky as to end up depending
   on it, may allow me to buy a fairly tasty can of dog food for dinner. And
   SS is explicitly not a retirement system.

3. Crime? I own a few guns and live in a safe area. Response time to anything
   other than a shooting is measured in hours. The only criminal around
   taking anything is the State itself which grabs half my income every year,
   and has been itching lately to take away my guns (all criminals like their
   victims disarmed).

4. Transportation. Nope, nothing I can use in mass transit. Based on the
   number of gallons I buy each year and the direct taxes in a retail
   gallon of gasoline, the State gets another 1.3% of my gross income.

   Since I do (supposedly) get roads out of this, I can't count this as
   a tax that I get nothing from. Subtracting the mass transit subsidies
   of my gas tax, the State gets another .6%

   We are now up to 53% of my gross income.

   I won't count the tires and battery excise taxes.

Schools? Nope, my kid will be going to a private school instead of the
public butchering yards.

Health? Nope, I have to pay for my own health insurance and my kids.

Defense? Perhaps, but then again, who would attack a country where
half of all households have one of more guns? Nuclear attack is
problem, but the State isn't building anything to protect me there.

Financial stability? Hah!

Entertainment, food, clothes, shelter, all things that the State is mostly
out of thank goodness.

Gee, you know, just what does my 50% theft-of-income do, besides provide
pork&gimme programs to re-elect the power hungry two-bit fascists?




-- 
I believe Gennifer Flowers.

These opinions are MINE, and you can't have 'em! (But I'll rent 'em cheap ...)
Newsgroups: ba.politics,alt.activism,talk.politics.drugs