Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is it time for an Economic Poll Tax?

Posted on 01/07/2021 3:22:45 PM PST by rustyboots

Tuesday’s Georgia election brought into focus one thing caught my eye just as it did during the general election; the blue areas of a map tend to be the areas where government spending is the highest, i.e., state, local and federal salaries, government payments to individuals (welfare by any name) and states with strong government unions. One can say that none of these individuals make any significant contribution to society. They all leach of the American taxpayers.

In American history a Poll Tax has generally been a way to disenfranchise African American voters. As such we should all be able to agree is it wrong. But if we were to enact a poll tax that basically said that you must be a productive member of society to vote, would that be wrong? If you are not producing, why should you have a say? Defining such people may be a problem. Blue collar workers fit into such a category automatically. Military personnel would fit. But what hedge fund managers, stockbrokers? Do they? While no product is produced, they may be making money for those blue-collar workers so they can retire in some comfort. What about people who invest in buildings and lease to businesses or individuals. The definition of who should have a right to vote may be hard to define, but those who should not be allowed to vote will be much easier. You collect welfare, you work for the local/state/federal government or are an elected official. None of these people produce, they consume. They will always vote what is best for their pocketbook, not what is best for this country. Look at winners of the Georgia Senate election, throw out Atlanta and its surrounding counties, same with Savannah, Macon, Albany and Americus and their counties, the Democrats win nothing. Too much government spending, one kind or another in all of them. Look at the general election map from November, one can say the same thing about that map. High government spending (deficit spending), high government employee salaries and pensions (particularly California) and welfare spending. Now they are begging for more Federal money (tax money) to bail them out. The question must be asked,” If you have no skin in the game, what should you be allowed vote?” They will always vote for those that will promise to increase payouts in one form or another. Government employment should not be paid more than the median income of U.S. citizens. When you make more that the median income, are you going to be a responsible custodian of their tax money. As I believe to be evident in todays world, NO. People who are happy living off the work of others should be happy with anything they get that allows subsistence. It is beyond the pale to see these people using government programs to pay bills, yet they have a $1200-$1400 iPhone. I have one, I paid cash for it, but I made the decision to use my sweat for such an extravagance. In the end, we need to remove recipients of any type of government payouts (expect military retirement, or medically retired military personnel, and others to be determined somehow) from the voting rolls. They do not have the best interests of the country in mind when they vote, and never will.

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.” Benjamin Franklin


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

1 posted on 01/07/2021 3:22:45 PM PST by rustyboots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

I know it will controversial to many, but it might be time to contemplate this.


2 posted on 01/07/2021 3:23:44 PM PST by rustyboots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

Heinlein required that only citizens could vote; but only citizens who has served in the military.

Heck, I’d settle for just citizens who paid taxes!


3 posted on 01/07/2021 3:25:57 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE ( I can only donate monthly, but the radical ABCNNBCBS does it every hour on their news.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

No....

But I like the idea that only a CITIZEN can vote, that being someone who served a full term of military service with an HONORABLE discharge.

Either that or ONLY NET TAX PAYERS!


4 posted on 01/07/2021 3:26:00 PM PST by GraceG ("If I post an AWESOME MEME, STEAL IT! JUST RE-POST IT IN TWO PLACES PLEASE")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

I’d be happy with universal voter ID nationwide but the courts keep knocking it down. We’d need a constitutional amendment to implemement it. Good luck with that.


5 posted on 01/07/2021 3:26:11 PM PST by CarmichaelPatriot (Recovering Kalifornian... Loving Alabama!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

I’ve been saying this for YEARS. If you don’t pay taxes and are on the system, no vote for you. Seniors on SS are exempted of course.

It wouldn’t fly since so many consider themselves “disabled” and have gamed the system. You’d have to have a major purge of the disability machine. Just as unlikely as “child” support reform.


6 posted on 01/07/2021 3:26:52 PM PST by AbolishCSEU (Amount of "child" support paid is inversely proportionate to mother's actual parenting of children)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GraceG

What about people that failed a military physical due to poor eyes?

So Reality Winner yes, but !e no?


7 posted on 01/07/2021 3:28:03 PM PST by Fai Mao (Biden is a pedophile, Kamala is a s*ut.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Robert A Cook PE

[ Heinlein required that only citizens could vote; but only citizens who has served in the military.

Heck, I’d settle for just citizens who paid taxes! ]

Well you would have democrats giving money under the table to people to pay taxes so they could vote for them.

I like the military service requirement better.

Even though it would strip me of the right to vote, it would strip the right to vote from a lot larger group of morons who don;t contribute to society so it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.


8 posted on 01/07/2021 3:28:21 PM PST by GraceG ("If I post an AWESOME MEME, STEAL IT! JUST RE-POST IT IN TWO PLACES PLEASE")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

I’d be happy if only real people, who are alive, citizens, old enough, only vote once, and in the location of their primary residence voted.


9 posted on 01/07/2021 3:28:25 PM PST by rigelkentaurus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

Sadly, the only thing that would succeed is a “cloward-piven” strategy for Fed.gov

The Left and its social-engineering schemes only exist because of the power of the US dollar globally, massive spending, even larger debt and corrupted, low interest rates.

If you bankrupt government, you destroy the Left, their cronies and their parasites.

Its the equivalent of calling in artillery fire on your own position though.


10 posted on 01/07/2021 3:28:45 PM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

Eventually, Americans will realize that if we had won in Georgia, we would have had another 2 years to clean up the country. But we lost (for whatever reasons), and short of a genocidal civil war, it is over, for good. The decay will start slow, but in a decade, we won’t look anything like we do today...think South Africa.


11 posted on 01/07/2021 3:29:13 PM PST by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

Sure, maybe the Democrat controlled House and soon the be Democratic Senate will get right on that.


12 posted on 01/07/2021 3:31:40 PM PST by Meatspace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Robert A Cook PE

The only quibble I have with that is for people who have some kind of physical limitation to prevent them from joining but can’t.

Some kind of alternate system that might require more time in service such as something along the lines of some kind of civil support of the military.

4 years for military service. 6 to 8 for civil support.


13 posted on 01/07/2021 3:32:57 PM PST by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Fai Mao

I suspected many would bring in the idea of Heinlein requiring that only citizens could vote; but only citizens who has served in the military. In that book, there was no way to “fail” to enlist if you wanted to. If you were a paraplegic and insisted on serving they found a job for you, even it meant you sat and watched a radar screen for a blip so you could speak or blink or something to send the alarm. There was no failure to enlist if you wanted to.


14 posted on 01/07/2021 3:34:44 PM PST by rustyboots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

The bottom line is no poll tax. However, if you are collecting any sort of government subsidy you must forfeit your right to vote for the duration of that subsidy.


15 posted on 01/07/2021 3:34:45 PM PST by Ouderkirk (Life is about ass, you're either covering, hauling, laughing, kicking, kissing, or behaving like one)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BobL

Work 40 hours a week verified. Those over 60: 20-30 hours. Keeps them out of trouble. EBT cards programmed for rice and beans only-a complete protein.


16 posted on 01/07/2021 3:34:45 PM PST by DIRTYSECRET
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: CarmichaelPatriot

“Good luck with that.”

I was going to make a similar point - we can talk reform all we want, but if our new masters (the Democrats) don’t want the reform, all we do is sound like Mark Levin (all hat, but no cattle).

And it’s a bit hard to see why the Democrats would want reform, since that means losing power to us Fascists (yet again). It’s about 1000 times more likely that they’ll do just the opposite - and make certain that we can NEVER win again, except when they approve of it (for propaganda purposes, so China can’t get away with saying they have more democracy than us).


17 posted on 01/07/2021 3:38:16 PM PST by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

After we contemplate it what then?


18 posted on 01/07/2021 3:38:54 PM PST by JonPreston
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BobL

South Africa is the model... Ginsberg herself said so years ago


19 posted on 01/07/2021 3:41:07 PM PST by Ouderkirk (Life is about ass, you're either covering, hauling, laughing, kicking, kissing, or behaving like one)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: rustyboots

Hear hear. I do believe universal franchise is anathematic to the principles of a Constitutional republic. There is a reason why commie totalitarian states have the highest voter turnouts among all states.

This is a pretty simple proposition. The IRS has access to every tax filing and they know who pays taxes (even if it’s just payroll taxes) and who doesn’t. Align voting rights to your tax filings. Why should bums who do nothing but mooch off the system have any freakin’ say in how our money gets distributed?


20 posted on 01/07/2021 3:45:42 PM PST by NohSpinZone (First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson