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What is your favorite argument against higher taxes?
Below is a list of six popular arguments against the implementation of higher taxes:
Economic Detriment Argument
Every dollar spent in taxes is a dollar not spent elsewhere. Individuals spend their money on products and services that they need or wat. This forces the market to adapt to the demands of the populace. Even one dollar influences the cost of goods, the amount of goods available, the reluctance or willingness of entrepreneurs to pursue investment, the quality of goods and a consumer's decision to go without certain goods. A one percent tax increase manipulates the economy by x dollars. In theory that much money could be the difference between the existence or non-existence of a whole industry.
Moral Argument
Many people oppose tax increases for no reason whatsoever. They jsut feel it in their gut that a tax increase is the wrong way to go. This uncomfortable feeling is justifiable once you analyze how taxes are collected. You are required to give the government a portion of your money not because you made an agreement to do so. You must simply pay because the government told you so. This is a perversion of the master/servant relationship. The government is servant to the people. Taxation causes the roles to flip in the opposite direction. If your taxes are not paid the government can force the sale of your home to collect these taxes, they can report the lien to credit reporting agencies or place you in jail for contempt of a court order. The government probably will not do these things because they don't want to bring to light this moral argument. The lower the tax rate is, the closer your government is to being morally pure. None of us are 100% morally pure. We don't expect our government to be either but it is good practice to keep it from getting to easy to do the wrong thing. The reason tax increases make you feel bad is because taxes are bad. You should trust your gut.
Hardship Argument
This argument is similar to the economic detriment argument but implies that a tax increase forces citizens to forego basic necessities in order to pay their taxes. This is the weakest argument against tax increases but the most commonly used.
I Said So Argument
This is the strongest case against tax increases but the least comfortable to invoke. Citizens elect their government by voting. In essence you are to receive the representation for your values. You can be oposed to tax increases without debate, without argument, without discussion, without explanation and without reason. The citizens are the master. The government is the servant and must submit to the master's demands regardless of their reasoning.
Waste Encouragement Argument
A tax increase is the politically expedient way to avoid discussion about uncomfortable budget decisions. It takes a lot of courage to cut out unnecessary waste in government. This is especially the case in local government. This could require firing your uncle, aunt, brother, sister, son, daughter, neighbor or even your spouse. Once the tax increase is implemented a big sigh of relief is felt by government employees and government officials. Those people vested in government waste are more heavily involved in politics than those who are dead set against tax increases. A tax increase can be easily forgotten. A budget cut will be remembered for decades by supporters and opponents. An increase in revenue reassures those in top government positions that they have a weak ally that will submit to any demands that they may come up with in the future. The message to government employees is very clear. Continue operating with complacency. A tax increase discourages practices of frugality by all parties involved. Reduce the revenue and the spending cuts will be forced to fall in line.
Vote on your favorite argument.
vasuderatorrent
I didn't vote. I'm not against higher taxes. Where I live the 'no taxes' mantra has led to kids selling chocolates in the neighbourhood so they can have band instruments in their school and to hours-long waits in local hospital ER's.
I think the moral argument has been taken too far. Some taxes are necessary to accomodate a society this isn't 100% morally pure. The less moral we become the more taxes that become necessary. There is certainly room for debate in the moral argument. Here is a sign of hope though.
When taxes get too low there is always somebody willing to jump in to remedy the problem.
When taxes get too high there is always somebody willing to jump in to remedy the problem.
I think at the federal government level taxes are too low if we want to continue with the services that we currently have. My taxation arguments were inspired by my 2012 candidacy for a local county wide office and my future run in 2016.
vasuderatorrent
When taxes are cut the entire nation suffers.
Taxes need to go up.
Especially for the wealthiest and big corporations.
I didn't vote. I'm not against higher taxes. Where I live the 'no taxes' mantra has led to kids selling chocolates in the neighbourhood so they can have band instruments in their school and to hours-long waits in local hospital ER's.
If a person making $15,000 a year were asked to pay 33% of his income in taxes they would take home only 10,000, putting them well under the poverty line. They could not afford a mortgage, a car or anything but the basest level of subsistence goods.Why is it that when you buy a service from the market all people are charged the same price no matter if they are poor, middle class, or wealthy, but when the government taxes people the rates are different depending on your income? Why is the services valued differently depending on the individuals income?
Btw, this is an economic question, so don't answer it in terms of fairness, and I do have a rebuttal to any arguments that rely on the individuals ability to pay.
If a person making $15,000 a year were asked to pay 33% of his income in taxes they would take home only 10,000, putting them well under the poverty line. They could not afford a mortgage, a car or anything but the basest level of subsistence goods.
If a person making $500,000 is asked to pay 33% of their income in taxes they will take home about $400,000 because their tax lawyers will find loopholes, hedge funds, off shore tax havens, tax dodge investments and deductions. They will still live in a mansion drive a luxury car and never know what it means to not have the basic necessities of life, even if they did have to pay $166,000.
A flat tax sounds fine until we look at the economic impact it would have on real people in a real economy.
The OP is a good example of a "push poll" for not increasing taxes. For each of the OPs listed rational for not increasing taxes there is missing is a counter rational for increasing taxes. The poll is invalid and I voted for the last option on that basis.
The OP is a good example of a "push poll" for not increasing taxes. For each of the OPs listed rational for not increasing taxes there is missing is a counter rational for increasing taxes. The poll is invalid and I voted for the last option on that basis.
So a flat tax is fine except that we need to make it progressive to work? Got it.There is a remedy for this already in place. It is called the Earned Income Credit. There could still be a flat tax. We would just have to increase the Earned Income Credit to the poorer of citizens. It seems like a wash but a flat tax let's us feel like we are all on the same team instead of turning on each other like we currently do. The rich hate the poor. The poor hate the rich. Single people hate married people. Married people hate single people. People with kids hate people without kids. People without kids hate people with kids. The list goes on and on. A flat tax would put us all on the same playing field. It would be a very good exercise in uniting our nation. Uniting our country should be more important than tax reform, health care, immigration, abortion, oil exploration or education. A flat tax would take us closer in that direction. All the spending could stay the same but let all citizens be involved in making our government function. It would be a great step in a better direction.
vasuderatorrent
So a flat tax is fine except that we need to make it progressive to work? Got it.
I don't believe there is nearly as much hate in the hearts of the American people as you like to pretend there is.
The concept of a flat tax has always been a pipe dream of wealthy people.
It'll never happen.
This most certainly was not a push poll or I would have not included the last option. I couldn't restrict the poll for only the people who support lower taxes. I knew there would be opponents. What would you have listed for a 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th option?
Besides, just because it's your favorite argument doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with it. It might be your favorite for comedic purposes or because of it's scholarship. It doesn't mean you agree.
vasuderatorrent
It's not what you say, its how you say it....or so I"ve been told. Phrasing poll questions is key to getting the responses that support a theory, or cause, or issue, or whatever. Objectivity is like a muscle that needs to be exercised or it atrophies....use it or lose it. It's not easy to be consistently objective....so I give you credit for trying.
The OP is a good example of a "push poll" for not increasing taxes. For each of the OPs listed rational for not increasing taxes there is missing is a counter rational for increasing taxes. The poll is invalid and I voted for the last option on that basis.
If a person making $15,000 a year were asked to pay 33% of his income in taxes they would take home only 10,000, putting them well under the poverty line. They could not afford a mortgage, a car or anything but the basest level of subsistence goods.
If a person making $500,000 is asked to pay 33% of their income in taxes they will take home about $400,000 because their tax lawyers will find loopholes, hedge funds, off shore tax havens, tax dodge investments and deductions. They will still live in a mansion drive a luxury car and never know what it means to not have the basic necessities of life, even if they did have to pay $166,000.
A flat tax sounds fine until we look at the economic impact it would have on real people in a real economy.
What is your favorite argument against higher taxes?
Below is a list of six popular arguments against the implementation of higher taxes:
Economic Detriment Argument
Moral Argument The reason tax increases make you feel bad is because taxes are bad. You should trust your gut.
Hardship Argument
This argument is similar to the economic detriment argument but implies that a tax increase forces citizens to forego basic necessities in order to pay their taxes. This is the weakest argument against tax increases but the most commonly used.
Your moral arguement in the OP was based on feelings. What else would moral argument be?I do have a counter argument to the Moral Argument that drives people crazy. I just don't have a fancy name for it. I still don't see how it would have fit into this poll.
vasuderatorrent
Lucky for me. I'm not a professional. That sounds like a lot of work.
Your moral arguement in the OP was based on feelings. What else would moral argument be?
Your moral arguement in the OP was based on feelings. What else would moral judgements be?
What is your favorite argument against higher taxes?
When taxes are cut the entire nation suffers.
Taxes need to go up.
Especially for the wealthiest and big corporations.
Actually, if it is based on feelings, it is not a moral argument. Morality is a system of rules.
I am a person that pays no taxes. I don't like that....
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