The plain simple truth is at times I read articles that set me fuming. Not because the article is not well written or that it does not indeed support itself in a convincing or articulate manner. Rather I get upset when people have a caviliar attitude toward taxation and the repercussions it has on people. I just read an article by ROBERT H. FRANK of the New York Times entitled “Taxing the Rich : Its All Relative” ( you can view it here if you really feel like it and it is still available ) In which he explains to his friend that the rich do not notice the effects of increase taxes because wealth is all relative and they won’t miss the money they don’t have anyway.
He explains basically that it is never about the money but a standard of living and so long as everyone has to change the standard of living at the same time then who cares… TO this I can only say that Mr. Robert Franks most likely has never actually had to run a business and meet a payroll. Perhaps that is the problem in life is far to many people are employees rather than employers. Every cent that goes to the government as a business owner is one more cent that I have to figure out how I am going to make up for. When a tax increase ( regardless of what form it comes in ) hits it hurts. It makes you want to ask the question, why bother going any further.
While I am currently not near the $250,000.00 a year that equates to the 40% of every dollar you make going to the Government I know how it feels as you climb the bracket. I know that when you are looking at the bracket increase and you are a small busniess owner you start asking yourself if you really care to cross it. That additional percentage that the Government takes hurts. Now many may be saying, “Gee I wish I were in that position where that next step would hurt, I mean I would be set!” Well perhaps if you are coming into money without having to actually earn it you may feel that way ( old money, huge corperations, etc ) but when you work 80 hours a week to make what you have you begin to get a little stingy with what the idea that you do not ‘earn’ it. Most households if they actually worked those kinds of hours even at minimum wage ( in a dual income household ) would be pulling in $60,000.00 a year. That is working at minimum wage!!!
It is not alright to simply take money from people because they have it. If they choose to share it fine, but to simply take it is just dumb. Mr. Franks also states that there is no collaboration between increased taxation and slowing the economy down… Well of course there isn’t when you are deficit spending the way we are!!! but the moment that you ‘Balance the Budget’ and stop spending more than you have you will see a real effect on the economy!!! there have been hundreds of papers written on this subject, I cannot believe this man is an economics professor and can make the statement he did!
The plain simple truth is that taxation is a trust the people give to a government. It is interesting how the economics professor seems to understand that cutting spending on government programs would be bad, yet taking money from private individuals is fine, they won’t miss it, after all, wealth is relative. The truth is this is a narrow minded, self-centered, bottom envy up looking set of hogwash drivel that makes me truly dislike the New York Times because I can simply imagine hundreds of thousands of people, who rather than actually having to think fro themselves and challenge the ideas asserted in this piece simply agreeing with the well articulated drivel spouted. Not to say I am well articulated or even make sense to others but at least I don’t consul others in their attempt to simply strip wealth from others.
