Sheldon Richman makes this excellent point:
“Tax debates might have better outcomes if we
began by acknowledging that the politicians take the money from the people who
earn it. It’s not the politicians’ money. It’s ours.”
Of course, the money
is the property of the person that earned it.
Yet, that is not how the government, the politicians, nor the news media
positions it. Here are a few examples:
“The term tax
break suggests the beneficiaries don’t really deserve it: giving people a
break rarely means giving them what is already theirs. On the other hand,
justifying a tax cut as a stimulant to economic growth implies that if a
tax increase would accomplish that (as some argue), then an increase
would be justified.”
“The implicit premise that the money
belongs to the politicians can be detected in various ways. For example, whenever
a tax cut is proposed, critics ask, ‘How are you going to pay for that?’ That’s
a peculiar question indeed.”
“The right question is “If taxes are
cut, how will the government pay for its programs?” Now the question has
shifted from taxes to spending. That’s progress because it directs our
attention to whether any given program should be paid for.”
Start demanding the answers to the right questions. That’s the way to real progress.
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