Mojotronica
Expect Irony.
For me, it's:
1. Payroll tax - this one impacts wage earners and their employers, in order to pay social security and medicare benefits. Social security itself is kind of a necessary evil -- people can't be counted on to save for retirement and it would be unconscienable to let them starve to death, even if they did not plan adequately. But the means to pay for it are counter-productive, and as the labor market shrinks in proportion to retirees, the current model will become unsustainable without additional funding.
2. Property tax - traditionally the means by which counties collect revenue, property tax forces home/landowners to pay a useage fee FOR THEIR OWN PROPERTY. When property values increase dramatically for families or individuals with a fixed income, they are often forced to sell homes they have lived in for years to avoid bankrupcy.
3. Sales tax, essential goods and services - like stapel food, clothing, housing, medicine or energy. It's regressive -- wealthier people pay a lower percentage of their income to cover the basics than poorer people.
4. Flat fee - the gov't charges everyone a flat fee for gov't services. It's regressive, because those who have limited means have a much harder time paying this than those with plenty. On the other hand, it would probably greatly restrict the size and power of gov't -- which may or may not be a good thing.
It's hard to imagine the United States funding it's gargantuan military on a flat tax.
5. International tariffs - I like free trade, so I am opposed to tariffs that discourage it.
6. Income tax, progressive - It's an invasion of privacy to have to report ones income to the gov't, but that is acceptable to me. Certainly better than the Payroll tax or Property tax that require the same kind of disclosures. Also a progressive tax forces the wealthier to pay a higher percentage of their income. That's not a terrible thing though -- the wealthier can afford to may more -- as long as the percentage remains low enough it is not a significant disincentive to wealth accumulation in my opinion.
It's hard to imagine the United States funding it's gargantuan military without the progressive federal income tax.
7. Income tax, flat - A flat income tax is fairer than a progressive income tax in the absolute sense. In more abstract social justice terms we could debate that the wealthier gain more benefits in this culture than appear on the balance sheet, but that is arguable.
8. Lottery - basically a tax on wishful thinking. My only reservation -- should it be controlled by the state or a gov't institution? Why not privatize it and tax the profits?
9. Sales tax, non-essential goods and services - it's hard to argue against a domestic usage fee for non-essential goods and services. You pay for what you use. If you don't WANT it, you don't have to pay for it.
How does your list compare to mine? Have I missed any here?
1. Payroll tax - this one impacts wage earners and their employers, in order to pay social security and medicare benefits. Social security itself is kind of a necessary evil -- people can't be counted on to save for retirement and it would be unconscienable to let them starve to death, even if they did not plan adequately. But the means to pay for it are counter-productive, and as the labor market shrinks in proportion to retirees, the current model will become unsustainable without additional funding.
2. Property tax - traditionally the means by which counties collect revenue, property tax forces home/landowners to pay a useage fee FOR THEIR OWN PROPERTY. When property values increase dramatically for families or individuals with a fixed income, they are often forced to sell homes they have lived in for years to avoid bankrupcy.
3. Sales tax, essential goods and services - like stapel food, clothing, housing, medicine or energy. It's regressive -- wealthier people pay a lower percentage of their income to cover the basics than poorer people.
4. Flat fee - the gov't charges everyone a flat fee for gov't services. It's regressive, because those who have limited means have a much harder time paying this than those with plenty. On the other hand, it would probably greatly restrict the size and power of gov't -- which may or may not be a good thing.
It's hard to imagine the United States funding it's gargantuan military on a flat tax.
5. International tariffs - I like free trade, so I am opposed to tariffs that discourage it.
6. Income tax, progressive - It's an invasion of privacy to have to report ones income to the gov't, but that is acceptable to me. Certainly better than the Payroll tax or Property tax that require the same kind of disclosures. Also a progressive tax forces the wealthier to pay a higher percentage of their income. That's not a terrible thing though -- the wealthier can afford to may more -- as long as the percentage remains low enough it is not a significant disincentive to wealth accumulation in my opinion.
It's hard to imagine the United States funding it's gargantuan military without the progressive federal income tax.
7. Income tax, flat - A flat income tax is fairer than a progressive income tax in the absolute sense. In more abstract social justice terms we could debate that the wealthier gain more benefits in this culture than appear on the balance sheet, but that is arguable.
8. Lottery - basically a tax on wishful thinking. My only reservation -- should it be controlled by the state or a gov't institution? Why not privatize it and tax the profits?
9. Sales tax, non-essential goods and services - it's hard to argue against a domestic usage fee for non-essential goods and services. You pay for what you use. If you don't WANT it, you don't have to pay for it.
How does your list compare to mine? Have I missed any here?
