Posted on 11/15/2002 10:51:57 AM PST by hsmomx3
It is said that if a frog is put in a pot of hot water, he will jump out. But if he is put on a stove in a pot of cold water and the temperature is slowly turned up, he will boil to death instead of jumping out. Like the frog, American taxpayers are slowly being boiled to death in taxes but do not realize it.
A Heritage Foundation study shows how much federal spending and taxes have increased over the years. It can be found at:
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/budgetchartbook/fed_spend.pdf.
Consider these alarming statistics from the study. (Figures are expressed in inflation-adjusted dollars.)
- Federal revenue has increased by $1.3 trillion since 1960.
- Federal revenue per taxpayer has increased 55% since 1960.
Feeling warm yet?
- Federal spending has increased almost continuously regardless of which party controlled Congress or the presidency.
- Since 1964, federal spending has increased almost twice as fast as the average price of a new single-family home.
Starting to sweat?
- The federal government now spends $6,000 more per taxpayer than it did in 1960.
- Federal spending per taxpayer is over 50% higher than in the early 1960s.
- Despite leftist rhetoric about the rich escaping taxes, federal taxes have become more progressive. Since 1983, the share of taxes paid by the highest 20% of wage earners has increased by 16%. The share paid by the lowest 20% has decreased by 35%. The top 10% of households in income now pay 66% of federal income tax.
Getting hot?
- Federal spending per household is up 80% since 1960.
- The federal government spends almost $300 out of every $1,000 earned by taxpayers.
- Since 1960, federal spending has risen over seven times faster than median income.
Skin turning red?
- Between 1962 and 2000, non-defense discretionary spending increased 188%, while defense spending rose only slightly.
- Since 1962, mandatory spending (mostly entitlements) has increased 680%, or 11 times faster than discretionary spending, for an increase per taxpayer of $7,000.
- In 2000, federal spending per taxpayer was $14,723, and state and local spending was $9,094, for a total of $23,817.
- Since 1960, every administration has operated under budget deficits.
These statistics show why my uneducated grandfather could immigrate here in the early 20th Century, work as a coal miner and yet have enough money left over after taxes to send his three kids to private school. The same is true for my working-class parents, who sent me to a private prep school in 1960.
The statistics suggest a reason why the nation's savings rate has plummeted and why it is necessary for both spouses in middle-class families to work. The statistics also suggest why the majority of citizens do not vote: because both parties buy votes with ever-increasing entitlements.
Anyone for frog legs?
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Mr. Cantoni is an author, public speaker and consultant. He can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.
I say-----sorry-----we are not supposed to be a democracy. WE ARE A REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC. Please get that into your head. We are not a democracy--or mob rule. WE are a Republic. A constitutional Republic.
That is the problem with today's schools. They teach revisionist history. Thye make you think one thing when it is really something else. It's the language of illusion.
The founding fathers knew that any government is in its nature, going to become tyranical. That is why they gave us a consitituion. The Constitution is set up to put limits on Government. It's not there to allow the people to do anything except put limits on the federal government. The Constitution is not there for some supreme court judge to tell us what WE can or cannot do. It is there for the PEOPLE to tell the government what it can or cannot do.
So when you see the supreme court ruling on matters between individuals.. this is a miscarrage of the justice system. The supreme court is to rule only on what the federal government can or cannot do. Not what we can or cannot do.
The quickest way to "make it real" would be a simple change in the tax law...Dont change the tax rates, dont change a thing...just do away with Employer withholding...and give all of the money to the person who makes it, and make it his responsibility to send the goons their corn every two weeks....
Thats it...that is all you need to do....what precipitates out of that who knows...but tax revolt would be certain...
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