[bigtoona]

Prior to 1916 our entire government was funded completely by tariffs.

[Grampa Dave]

Prior to 1916 our entire government was funded completely by tariffs.

Then, we got the income taxes which fund everything but us!

[deport]

Prior to 1916 our entire government was funded completely by tariffs.

**************

And the gov’t didn’t have an item known as ‘welfare’...

Interesting article on the Government and how it was funded since it’s inception.

https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/history/item/14268-before-the-income-tax
“Before the Income Tax “

[Vision]

What do you mean? There was no income to the government other than tariffs?

[Hardastarboard]

And alcohol taxes. And Americans DRINK. Prohibition caused the politicians to need a new source of revenue, so they passed the 16th Amendment.

[morphing libertarian]

Uh I think not. The congress had the northwest territory surveyed in the 1700s. They sold off lands as territories were added. Those funds financed a lot of the federal budget including paying most of the debt from the revolutionary war. When Arizona and NM became states in 1912, that was almost the end of selling federal land for settlers. So that income stream dried up.

They could make a trillion or so now by selling land and apply it to the debt, but they won’t.