Posted on 04/05/2002 5:36:23 AM PST by Phantom Lord
With many states facing budget "shortfalls" as the left likes to call them liberal politicians are calling for increases in sales taxes, income taxes, and taxing specific items such as cigarettes, soda, fatty food, bullets, etc...
Well, taking a tip from WPTF talk show host Jerry Agar (Raleigh NC) from a show he did last year I have decided to put the challenge to my fellow FReepers.
What are popular and high use items among liberals that taxes could be placed on to help eliminate these budget "shortfalls"? Liberals are all for raising taxes so surely they would like to see our ideas put into practice. So what "liberal" consumer goods could be taxed a little extra to help states with their budgets?
It's a big world. I know several, in fact, I know one who sells pot. And he's a staunch Republican, I can't even convince him to vote libertarian.
GUT GOVERNMENT!
CONDOMS.
Maybe then they'll stop giving 'em away for free, and sexual promiscuity will stop.
Hmmm, what are the high priority Government programs?
1. Defense.
2. ???
If you are not serving in a public office then you have truly missed your calling.
An interesting view of things: libertarians are culpable for being "socially darwinistic", while simultaneously discouraging personal responsibility. I'm not quite sure how that's physically possible.
In the above, your "we" makes no distinction between government and citizen. You ought to examine that a bit. Especially since compassion is not a virtue imposed by laws. Libertarians would not dissolve the Red Cross, Salvation Army, The March of Dimes, The American Cancer Society, or any of the innumerable private religious charities that do a better job of caring for the truly needy than the government does. Incidentally, such organizations hover around 78% efficiency compared to the government's 26%. And their coffers would only swell if people were allowed to keep more of their income. I think 9/11 showed that.
Don't confuse the libertarian (or constitutionalist) approach to federalism with "lack of compassion." It's the same argument the left uses against the right every day. When you engage in it, you make tacit admissions that that left is correct in its methods - with the only implied caveat being that they "go too far."
As with most of these discussions, the pivotal question lies not in what should be done, but who decides what is to be done, and how.
Hrm..
Government surpluses cast as public virtue.
Yep, you're a leftist.
Nevertheless, the fundamental responsabilty of the federal government is to PROTECT the continguous states.
Another hit-and-run Rat poster. He/she has been on 5 threads, posted one incindiary comment on each and then went to another thread before he/she had to defend their position like a grownup.
Yes, police and courts.
How about roads and other infrastructure such as water and sewer systems? Or should those things be funded by private corporations?
The problem I have is that the bureaucrats spend our money on low priority items like Community Parks and Government buildings. And then tells us they have to raise taxes to pay for the essential services that they should be providing in the first place.
Its not that they don't know what the priorities are. Its that they know that we won't complain much if we think the higher taxes are paying for things like police protection, or fire and rescue.
Finally, how about a special alcohol consumption tax on Ted Kennedy? A hot air [production tax on Bill Clinton? A lie tax on Hillary Clinton?
All Sen Byrd monuments
$50.00 tax on all Sen Kennedy liqour bottles
Tax on all Sen. Toriccelli shredded documents
Tax on all the air 'evironmentalists' use
Tax on all 'self esteem' curicullums
Tax on every broken promise (i.e. Baldwin, Streisand, Salliger, Farrel, O'donnald, Cher, Roberts, Saradon, etc)
Tax on every self-congratulatory award the Hollywood elites give each other
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