Taxation without Representation

Way back in ancient history ( the mid-1950's ) There was an entity called "The Interstate Commerce Commission" ICC for short. The ICC had control of Tarrifs, operating authority, safety regulations etc for the transportation industry. The interesting part of that Commission was that most of the people on that commission were from the old "Railroad Commission". Since the railroads were seemingly under the coltrol of the Railroad Commission, they made SURE they had their own people running it. Ok, politics as usual, but when the ICC took over, they took the railroad people on board, also.

All that went away not long ago, except for one tiny detail...TAXES. The Road Use Taxes and Fuel Taxes I paid over the years did NOT go to improve the road system we were using, they all went into the General Fund. The improvements and repairs to the highways are paid for by everyone, out of the General Fund. Sounds fair, right? WRONG! I was loading boxes of apples in Yakima, WA one time...If I loaded my trailer about 4' deep from nose to tail, I had pretty close to a legal load for the highways. I have seen rail pigs (trailers to be loaded piggyback on rail cars) loaded floor to roof, nose to tail with the same apples I was hauling. That would have made those trailers about 4 times the legal limit for the highways. The good part is that in order to get them to the railroad, they had to cross 2 Washington State Scales to get to Seattle and the rail yards there. Now, what does that have to do with Road Use Taxes? Well, my Road Use Taxes went to the Federal Government's General Fund, and then to the railroads in the form of "Rail Subsidies". That, in effect, means that I was paying to railroads to haul overloaded rail pigs on their trains. To me, that just ain't fair! Lee

Howdy!

I too have a huge beef with the railroad stacked ICC and every other "dept", "commission", etc. set up beyond constitutional authority and staffed by the very industries they aim to regulate, often with increased barriers to entry of smaller competitors and always at greater cost to consumers.

The laws passed to create the ICC, for the most part, was the beginning of Congress's afore-to unconstitutional ability to tax and spend for whatever would bring in the votes needed, period.

That no one else here saw fit to commiserate with your just and true concerns is direct testament to just how dumbed down America has become and that is a truly scary realization.

Most of the morons here accept the status quo not having a clue to what should be a serious national issue - that of re-limiting this pig of a Govt to it's pre-ICC constitutional status. Instead we have those in power who were supposed be in the Reagan mold, but who frankly more resemble FDR, who they continually praise? Piss on all their dumb asses!!!! The whole system needs a good dose of Drano - fire them all, reelect only those that have proven they are cutting Govt and saving taxpayers money. Give them a manager's base pay but with bonuses based on a percentage of what they save us in taxes. Yes, a real incentive to serve we the people instead of themselves and their pig suckling corp cronies.

Boston Tea Party II is waaayy overdue!

Keep up the good fight ole' buddy, and I'd be curious as to your experiences with the unions

" Keep up the good fight ole' buddy, and I'd be curious as to your experiences with the unions"

I'm tryin...A post about May Trucking Co. and the Teamsters is comming tonight.

Stay tuned for more of the soapbox derby.

I'll bring the soapbox, you wear the derby!

Lee

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