To Do List

[Illumination]

Originally Posted by seashore

Illumination, I got the idea from Lorien's post on the "Is the Real Problem Excessive Government Spending?" thread under the Economy and Currency sub-forum:

"I have always been a firm believer in getting rid of the income tax completely, and changing over to a flat sales tax in every state. For example, every state across the board would have a sales tax attached to every item or service sold.

Some items like food and clothing would have a very low tax with say 1% going to the state and 1% going to the federal gov.

General goods and services would have a higher tax with say 4% going to the state and another 3% going to the fed.

Luxury items like cars and homes over a certain price, and other items would have a higher tax on them.

This leaves a portion of taxes to the state for them to do with what they want, and a portion for the gov to do what they want. It also doesn't punish people for working hard and making a lot of money since they're not getting taxed on their wages. It does however 'punish' them for things that are excessive and not needed.

This would also make it so that there would be no earmarking of federal funds that you and I pay to the government for projects in some other state that we care less about."
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What do you think?

Thank you for the link (I'm new and still discovering all there is on this site). That idea is interesting, moving in the right direction. I really don't want to get into the politics too deeply but as far as US government spending...I recently saw a chart where the Pentagon eats up almost half of our tax dollars. And then there is the fact that the US spends more military dollars than the rest of the world combined. So, IMO there are way too many public funds being used for the Military Industrial Complex and funds that simply disappear into the secret black budget which is both undemocratic and unfairly handed out to corporations without transparency.

I don't believe taxes are "punishment" because without them how could a society expect to have basic communal necessities like schools, fire departments, etc.?

Frankly, I'm tired of the squabbling about political minutiea because what we really need is a massive paradigm change which will result in a whole new way of organizing people and pooling resources in order to become a more fair and healthy community.

I'm not sure I can even envision what our new society will look like after this transformation. Hoping for a positive outcome!

[Seashore]

Originally Posted by Illumination

I don't believe taxes are "punishment" because without them how could a society expect to have basic communal necessities like schools, fire departments, etc.?

I've always felt this way, also...

Originally Posted by Illumination

...what we really need is a massive paradigm change which will result in a whole new way of organizing people and pooling resources in order to become a more fair and healthy community.

...Hoping for a positive outcome!

[J_rod7]

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Excellent list so far. To this, I suggest to add the following point:

TAX THE PROPERTIES AND "INCOME" OF ALL RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, WITHOUT EXCEPTION

If we want LESS individual taxation (squeak-up if you want to keep paying more), then ALL those various religious holdings, Airlines, properties, lands, buildings, offices, "businesses," off-shore accounts, political "war-chests," and undeclared income of the religious groups = MUST pay a fair share.

We are talking many BILLIONS in TAX revenue from all such religious groups. This MUST include ALL churches, temples, synagogs, meeting houses, mosques, tents, church-owned hospitals, EVERYTHING in all the absolute control of EVERY religious group which, by their contempt have been exempt.

None can cry "discrimination," when ALL are included.

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