Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Of Mice and Men and Government Shutdowns

I know it may come as a terrible surprise to many, but there are worse things than a partial government shutdown.  I am sure there will be some inconveniences, and perhaps some will be more severe than merely not getting to hike in the Pisgah National Forest.  However, I for one have noticed no difference in my daily life.  Have you?  I would love to hear it if you have.  I doubt seriously that more than 1% of Americans felt any change at all (except of course federal government employees in "non essential" positions).  

The upside is we are actually saving some money.  The normal operating costs of many of these non-essential services is temporarily on hold.  Heaven knows, we could use a break.  With a $3.8 Trillion dollar budget and an almost $17 Trillion federal debt, the poor, over-burdened tax payer desperately needs some relief!  

And the notorious sequester?  You mean the government cannot operate with 2-3% less in revenue?  They sure thought the working taxpayers could when they raised the payroll tax 2% at the beginning of the year.

All these government "services" are not free. Sure, they may be free to those who do not work for them, but somebody has to pay.  That somebody is the taxpayer and most of us are a little sick and tired of being soaked here and there by every government agency coming and going.

Here is a list of taxes Americans pay, put together by goodcitizen.org:

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax Interest expense (tax on the money)
Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax
Toll Bridge Taxes
Toll Tunnel Taxes
Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)
Trailer registration tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft registration Tax
Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

Some of these are very small taxes, and some, like the federal income tax, are substantial. At some point there has to be a taxpayer revolt.  The TEA Party folks are getting a start on this.  For too long the takers in society, the Washington elite, and others have had their way, raising taxes and fees and spending like drunken sailors.  Wait, it's worse than that. When drunken sailors run out of money, they quit spending.  The government does not.  It's like the great Ronald Reagan once said, "Government is like the alimentary canal of a baby, with an insatiable appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

It is past time for a change. 

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