Bar Stool Economics - A Tax Story

[cjbcpa]

A true enough tale. Sadly, the focus on income taxes diverts attention from what, in my opinion, is the real  issue. The overall tax burden.

Emphasizing the amount of income taxes one group pays over another only diverts the electorates attention and stirs up the "us vs. them" mentality that makes it impossible for there to be any meaningful tax reform or political change period. Income taxes are only a small portion of the taxes we all pay (but a very visible one.)

For once I would like someone to add it up for the "middle class"; income taxes, FICA tax, Medicare tax, state income tax, local income tax, per capita tax, property taxes, fuel taxes, sales tax, taxes and fees on phone bills and utilities. Then the middle and lower middle class could really see how the same politicians pandering to their sense of "fairness" on income taxes are really screwing them (and all of us) with the taxes no one talks about.

To me, positive tax change means changing the system to operate solely to fund what the government needs to function, not some mechanism for social engineering. Scrap the taxes on income and convert them to taxes on spending. Reward people for working hard and being successful. Let them keep what they reap and invest. Tax spending.

What's the real cost of those $10 beers when its all said and done, I'll venture under our current system that each person had to earn $15-$20 to pay for it.