H 23°, L 4° | Tomorrow: 
H 21°, L 6°The shortcomings of American governmental policy on taxation have finally been exposed and all it took was the recent culmination of serious government self-sustenance issues.
Recently, the state of Wisconsin began enforcing a new legislative initiative, giving an ultimatum to any resident owing back-taxes of more than $25,000. Should these residents be unable to pay their dues, they will see their names published in an effort to shame them into uprightness.
The innovation of Wisconsin's new tax-retrieval method is interesting, and nothing could be more fun than sifting through a list of delinquent taxpayers, searching for the names of friends and relatives. However, the action being taken by the state can be considered largely indicative of a much more serious problem. The United States' formula of tax collection, which has long inhibited the government's potential as a provider of social welfare, is now proving incapable of upholding even the pillars of governmental social responsibility.
Taxpayers in the U.S. have long carried a substantially smaller load than most of their European counterparts. This is the easy explanation for American's lack of the comprehensive social programs — namely things like universal health care and fully subsidized university tuition — that allow for a European equality unlike any the U.S. has ever seen. Nonetheless, the bare essentials that always were available to Americans — things like a good, public K-12 education — are now proving they are not immune to the effects of an insufficient system of taxation.
Nobody realistically expected an expansion of the government's revenue base as President George W. Bush was elected to office in 2000, but it's also doubtful that anyone expected such a catastrophic mishandling of budgetary issues. Fighting two different conflicts simultaneously, the Bush administration decided it would be the first administration in U.S. history to cut taxes in a time of war. Even worse, the bulk of these cuts would pad the pockets of the wealthy.
From here, the story is well known: a projected budget surplus from the days of Clinton fiscal policy quickly deteriorating into a record national debt by the blundering of the Bush administration. Before long, areas in which society already suffered from the inadequacies of the U.S. revenue stream were now experiencing multiple crises.
The American attitude toward taxation has long seemed cavalier, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance and discouraging the notion that those who strike it big owe something to the society that nurtured their success. Many members of the top tax bracket are so caught up in complaining about things like the social security tax — chump change to them — that they blindly refuse to acknowledge the ways in which they rely on government themselves. Perhaps these people ought to consider the extent to which their taxes help the government serve them.
Promoting a free flow and protection of capital, the U.S. government is a slave to the wealthy. Providing services such as national defense, corporate subsidies, bureaucracies overseeing trade, and the establishment of freeways for commerce, the government truly caters to those with money. It is peculiar, then, that these people are always searching for a loophole to escape the possibility that they might have to pay one cent toward the welfare of the lower classes.
The fact that the richest nation on earth does not enforce the simplest standards of equality is disgusting. No teacher should have to cut important sections of the curriculum in order to save the few hundred dollars they were shorted because of tax cuts for the wealthy. Americans have never expected their government to fully support them, but only to provide the most basic necessities. The U.S. government has always asked too little of its most privileged citizens, but the irresponsible tax policies now being promoted are restricting governmental ability to provide equality more than ever.
Very few people are advocating socialism, but most simply want to see their kids have an education equal to that received by children of wealth. This is the case in Wisconsin as much as anywhere else. Unfortunately, given its tax policies, Wisconsin's new initiative to collect back-taxes may not be enough to provide this equality.
Rob Rossmeissl ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science.
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This is one more good reason to switch to a national retail tax. You pay as you go. No one skips, everyone pays. There is a bill in Congress now, H.R. 25/S. 25. It’s called the FairTax bill, co-sponsored by John Linder(R-GA) and Collin Peterson(D-MN).
Read about it at www.fairtax.org and write your Congressman and tell him/her to support it.
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Dear Comrade, I see Madison has not changed much since I left. Professors are still passing off socialism as if it is as natural as the sun rising in the East and not akin to slavery. Please tell the world what is “governmental social responsibility” and who sets it and then please tell us what are the “simplest standards of equality” that the US fails to provide, justice? opportunity? the freedom to live where you please? And please tell us how much the rich should pay in taxes and how long they should rot in jail for wanting to keep their own money. Finally donate your brown coat and just wear your brownshirt so the appartchiks can identify you. Please look for my name on the state’s list, I will wear that badge with honor.
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“… giving an ultimatum to any resident owing back-taxes of more than $25,000.”
Why not jail? Or the public stocks. Ouch, name in the paper? BFD
“… a projected budget surplus from the days of Clinton fiscal policy…”
There was NEVER a real surplus - the amount of total government debt was higher when Clinton left office. Any “surplus” was the result of accounting that was more “creative” than anything ever dreamed up by WorldCon or Enron.
There are HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars in taxes that are owed by tax cheats. All those who are don’t report income or overstate deductions should be called to account before the rates are raised on those who do pay their taxes.
I would like to see taxes imposed that are are harder to cheat on, that EVERYONE pays and that are clearly taxes. The rich pay most of the income taxes, the rest don’t have any idea what taxes they are paying. The poor might not ever think they are paying taxes, but they do any time they buy anything.
Right now every dollar you spend goes partly to pay taxes but you don’t have a clear idea of how much tax is imbeded in the price (except sales tax). NO COMPANY HAS EVER PAID ANY TAX - their customers pay the taxes, just like the customers pay their rent, light bill, etc.
I would like to see a huge tax on gasoline, diesel, natural gas and fuel oil to ecourage conservation. I would like to see import duties raised to the point that we could eliminate the federal income tax. This would also fund a huge increase in border security needed to stop smuggling.
BAH, why bother it’ll be business as usual
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Unfortunetly, I don’t have the time to respond to this the way I would like to. I can only say that Mr. Rossmeissl is doomed. Unless someone drills a hole in his head and his socialist beliefs are filtered out, he is in for a very unhappy life.
Mr. Rossmeissl need only look throughout history to see the 100% failure rate where his theories have been applied. Mr. Rossmeissl’s beliefs have lead to increased death, starvation, and misery for all those in contact.
Rob- Your rhetoric will make your friends at madison, and most likely will get you invited to a few east coast cocktail parties. But unless you realize that the wealthy are the root of all GOOD in this world and not the evil brutes you think we are, you will die a man whose claim to fame is being a spokesman for the parasitic losers of this world.
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Rob,
Sounds like you are interested in socialism. 1) Define Wealthy in your terms. 2) Research these topics…a) What country is doing the most to advance medical research and quality healthcare, b) Unemployment rates in Europe vs the USA c)How long it takes to get non emergency care appointments or surgery in your chosen countries. 3) How much taxation is too much for you? what %? 4) Why is your solution to add more taxes vs making choices with the money that is already wasted?
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Wait, I thought the Opinion page was for talking about night life and dating. Who wants to hear about politics in a newspaper? I agree with you, so I’ll forgive you this time.
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” the U.S. government is a slave to the wealthy”
ROFLMAO, I suppose that’s why “rich” pay all the taxes (which is why any tax cut only benefits the “rich”).
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To the person with the 4 question (I’m not Rob, but I’ll take a crack since columnists don’t usually respond to online feedback): 1) People making more than $400,000; it’s arbitrary, but you asked and let’s agree that everyone making more than the president is wealthy 2) The American system does lead to better outcomes for those who can afford it, but if you consider life expectancy as the best measure of a nation’s healthcare system the CIA factbook puts the US in 48th place (3.9 years behind Singapore). 3) The economy wasn’t so bad under Clinton, I would have kept the taxrates from the time of his administration, and as Rob argued in this piece, I would collect more of the unpaid taxes 4) Ask the Republicans why they wouldn’t reconsider all of the pork in the transportation bill after Katrina (the “bridge to nowhere”, for example). If pork couldn’t be dealt with in that instance it’s not likely to happen. Congress is unlikely to police themselves with Republican or Democratic majorities, which is unfortunate but not a reason to turn a blind eye to our deficit.
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I think someone other than Emily designed the page today
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While I disagree with you coompletely, the thing I really find absurd is that you are talking about European equality now. Have you watched the news over th last two weeks? Have you noticed that France is burning? Have you heard why? Disenfranchisement of their minority groups and unemployment.
Personally, I won’t miss France, but I’ve heard some people really love Paris. They must have an infatuation with dog feces in the streets.