Moral Taxes? Yes.

At the heart of many of my conservative friend’s fundamental beliefs is that taxes are immoral. Check out many conservative web sites and print publications and you will see opinions ranging from the sensible and reasonable to outright rants. The latter usually lead to how “liberal” taxes plans are ruining the country.

First, some facts:
1. Out of the top industrialized countries, America and Japan have the lowest tax rates
2. Our current tax rates are the lowest in 50 years

So, in relative terms, we aren’t being taxed that much.

I heard a comments somewhere the other day that American, as generalized population are philosophically conservative, but operationally liberal. I tend to agree with this. When I look at my paycheck and see a big hunk being siphoned off to taxes, I sigh. But what’s a guy to do?

In response to negative comments about taxes, I ask my conservative friends if they like police protection, fire departments, an armed forces that protects and defends our country (and our ideals), safe drinking water….the list could go on. So some agree that they do like these and this leads to eventual and begrudging acceptance that not all taxes are bad. While others go to insane extremes that they either want someone else to pay for services that they get or have elaborate pay for services programs like: Want to use a public tennis court, insert a quarter for 25 minutes worth of play time. And so on.

It’s like they would like a line item veto on how their tax dollars are spent. I would too.

Back when I was more liberal, I didn’t want my tax dollars to go to defense. Of course, that line item veto option didn’t come on my 1040. And I’m happy it didn’t. I want us to be united as a country and, baby, taxes are one thing that unites us – whether we like them or not.

I’m not for unbridled taxes. And there are plenty of tax dollars going to pork barrel projects all over the country. Want to see a list? Check out the Heritage Foundations list on this site:
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These projects merely build on the $20 billion spent on more than 8,000 similar programs in fiscal year 2002, including:
$273,000 to help Blue Springs, Missouri, combat teenage "Goth culture";
$1,500,000 for a statue of the Roman god Vulcan in Birmingham, Alabama;
$1,000,000 for an "Intelligent Transportation" grant for Moscow, Idaho--population 22,000;
$50,000 to fund a tattoo removal program in San Luis Obispo County, California;
$26,000 to study how thoroughly Americans rinse their dishes; and
$4,572 to Las Vegas Helicopters (LVH), which performs airborne weddings officiated by Elvis Presley impersonators, as part of the post-September 11 package of aid to airlines.

(http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/bg1622.cfm)

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So, what is really at the heart of their argument? It’s that progressive taxes are immoral.

Their argument goes something like this: “Why is it fair that if someone works hard, takes a risk, and sacrifices and finally after years of toil, makes it, and then we (the government, the liberals) come in and say that he/she has to pay a higher tax rate than everyone else? Do they get a higher level of service from the police? Does their tap water taste better?”

It’s a simple argument with a lot of credence. No, they don’t get more for their money. But where did their money come from in the first place? Okay, not from the government, I admit, but from an economic environment that has been, in part created by a working tax system.

Here’s one piece of anecdotal evidence that I witnessed first hand.

I worked with an instructor at the college (a private college) where I work to help set-up a global trade videoconference. We linked to government satellite offices in 3 different countries (Canada, Argentina, and one other place – maybe in Africa – my memory fails me). In attendance at this conference were probably around 20 or more small business. Now given their own devices, these small companies would never have had the ability to create these linkages between their businesses and opportunities in these countries.

Taxes become a “force multiplier.” You take a few pennies (ok, an understatement) from everyone and pull it together into one synergistic effort and you create a way for everyone to benefit.

In my example, the small business operator through the help of government satellite office in foreign lands a contact with someone that opens a new market for them. The small business builds sales, employs more people, and expands opportunities. On their own, who know I they could make this connection.

My summary argument is that, in America, we have built the most prosperous nation on the earth by balancing out an idea of getting ahead through hard work and taking care of underprivileged quite well. It is this system that creates an environment that allows someone to work hard, sacrifice and takes risks to get ahead. These people do not create this opportunity in a vacuum. The construct of our society allows for it.

So, I won’t ask people to turn a blind eye. Yes, there needs to be accountability, but taxes are not immoral. I end with a quote from David Cay Johnson who wrote the book, “Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich -- and Cheat Everybody Else.”

"Taxes are the means by which we decide how we're going to finance maintaining our democracy, who pays and how much, how the burdens are distributed."

Come up with a better system and people will listen.

Think first, act later,
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