GenSeneca
Well-Known Member
I posited a while ago about setting up a taxation system whereby the public chose where their federal income tax money went and I wanted to revisit the topic. Ultimately, every individual government program/agency would be listed on your income tax filings so you could choose what % of your income tax money went to what programs/agencies.
For example, I do not support the welfare state so I would not fund any programs or agencies that redistributed wealth - No foreign aid and no corporate or individual welfare. I also do not support the massive regulatory state, so I wouldn't fund any of that either.
I would split my money between the programs/agencies that I agree with, and every other tax PAYER (i.e. the 52% of us who ACTUALLY pay income taxes) would have the same options. The millions of people who end up with a negative tax liability (get back more than they pay in) would not have any options as to where income tax revenue is spent, because they aren't kicking any money into the income tax pot.
In a general sense, my money would go to Defense, Nasa, debt obligations, and the courts. I say "general" because I do not support nation building or Nasa programs of "Islamic Outreach", so any specific programs or agencies that exist for that purpose would not get my funding.
Now it was suggested the last time I broached this topic that such a system would usurp the authority of Congress, since they are the ones charged with raising taxes and spending. My suggestion would take the single largest chunk of money out of the communal pot but taxation from a myriad of other sources would still exist for the legislature to play around with.
Such a system would put a great deal of power back into the hands of the taxpayers, where it belongs, and I'd feel that much better about paying taxes every April 15th.
For example, I do not support the welfare state so I would not fund any programs or agencies that redistributed wealth - No foreign aid and no corporate or individual welfare. I also do not support the massive regulatory state, so I wouldn't fund any of that either.
I would split my money between the programs/agencies that I agree with, and every other tax PAYER (i.e. the 52% of us who ACTUALLY pay income taxes) would have the same options. The millions of people who end up with a negative tax liability (get back more than they pay in) would not have any options as to where income tax revenue is spent, because they aren't kicking any money into the income tax pot.
In a general sense, my money would go to Defense, Nasa, debt obligations, and the courts. I say "general" because I do not support nation building or Nasa programs of "Islamic Outreach", so any specific programs or agencies that exist for that purpose would not get my funding.
Now it was suggested the last time I broached this topic that such a system would usurp the authority of Congress, since they are the ones charged with raising taxes and spending. My suggestion would take the single largest chunk of money out of the communal pot but taxation from a myriad of other sources would still exist for the legislature to play around with.
Such a system would put a great deal of power back into the hands of the taxpayers, where it belongs, and I'd feel that much better about paying taxes every April 15th.
