WTF – War Tax Fiasco

It’s a common theme we hear coming out of the Democratic side of Congress – “(Insert program here) . . . will be paid for by taxing the rich.” So far there are proposals for paying for health care, environmental programs, and just plain government in general. Now Obey and Levin suggest a tax – not just a tax, but a surtax – on the wealthy to fund the war.

 There are so many things wrong with this way of thinking I don’t know where to begin. Certainly we can’t expect the government to get by on a few hundred billion dollars so sooner or later you might find yourself in the “rich” category regardless of your income. If we keeping robbing from the rich they soon become the poor except for a few that are fabulously wealthy. But the biggest reason for getting off this line of thought is the sense that the people that pay for a thing feel like they own the thing. If they feel strongly enough they may just decide not to share that thing.

 Another consideration politicians need to devote some time to is what I have decided to call the Polling Paradox. The majority of the persons that go to the polls (by count) are not within the “rich” category. You might think that taxing the rich is the politically safe line to take. The paradox in this line of thinking is that to be selected at the polls you have to be on the ballot. Money is what gets you on the ballot, the airwaves, the internet, and the talk shows. Money, at least the kind it takes to get on the Senate, House, or Presidential ballot doesn’t come from the average Joe, it comes from the people you think should pay for just about everything. They can either withhold the funds or demand something in return. They do both.

 You might put forth the argument that Obama was funded by nickels and dimes from the masses. I personally don’t believe that we know much about where all the Obama money came from, but even if it did come from the peoples, it was an anomaly and not something that you will see repeated. After all, those red stamps keep building up and the $5 contributors aren’t sure they are getting their money’s worth.

 Obey may feel that he is clever. Tie the surtax to the war and when people complain drop the tax with the rationale that the war will have to end. To suggest that the rich barber, dry cleaner, and shop owner don’t appreciate the sacrifices of those in the military is an affront to every American at every income level. It is not only an insult to the American spirit, it is just plain stupid. There, I’ve said it, we have at least two stupid congressmen. Throw in a raving lunatic from Florida 8^th and it might qualify as a trend.