In the USA, we are taxed on money we earn, money we save, money, we spend, and money we leave our heirs.
We are taxed on things we own, things we use, resources we consume. There are income taxes, sales taxes, environmental issues taxes. Taxes are obvious, hidden, and disguised. Some taxes are complex, difficult to understand, and impossible to figure out. There are simple taxes, elegant taxes. Some tax you hate to pay. Some tax is a joy to pay and fun to engage (well not many, really).
As good citizens, we actually pay our taxes. The USA is the envy of the government funding world. Our Internal Revenue Service and its state and local equivalents are the best organized, best run, most sophisticated in the world today. They know to the penny how much you owe and when you owe it. Fail to do so, and they will land on you like a duck on a June bug. Our tax laws are vigorously enforced. Our collection tools, tactics, and techniques use state-of-the-art computerization, software, and hardware.
Best Tax Collectors in The World
The 200 million taxpayers and their various sources of funds are calculated effortlessly. The tax folks have no trouble at all in identifying amounts and sources of all tax bases. As citizens, we accept this as excellence in governance and we expect nothing less. Good citizens get the best government!
On the income side of the balance sheet, this is as it should be. On the other side of the ledger, spending and outflow, the story is different. Spending tax dollars (collected from the many) is done by a very select few. On what they spend it, and how they spend it, is best known to them.
Citizens' greatest disappointment in how they are governed is in their lack of control on how their money is spent.
For example, spending millions on protection of the “Furry Tongued Snail Darter” may be viewed as wasteful to some. To others this may be money well spent. Only, we (the citizens) do not get a say in spending or not spending these funds. Having a say in how tax dollars are spent is the very core of our Republic. After all, we fought our war of Independence over taxation and representation.
The problem is that citizens do not have a direct say in where to spend their own tax dollars. Tax dollars are not spent where the citizen wants them spent and tax dollars are spent where the citizen does not want them spent. There is a fix for this.
The solution: Citizens identify where they want their tax dollars spent when they pay their annual income tax. This can be done with a simple computer program. The annual state and federal budgets are already line-item ready. It is just a matter of the citizen tagging those lines where they want their dollars to go and where they do not want their dollars to go. The IRS distributes funds as they are collected.
Close the lid on the cookie jar
This direct payment to the “line item” fixes several burning political issues. First, funding of any government activity is no longer in the hands of politically biased decision makers. Congressional wrangling gets side stepped. Actual work may get done.
Second, special interest “lobbyists” no longer have arms to twist and “incentives” to lavish on “decision makers.”
Third, people attracted to serve in congress will not be motivated by “how much money can stick to their fingers” while serving. This could result in a better and more motivated congress.
In a perfect world, everyone has a say in how things work. This is step in that direction. Power is in the hands of the people, not some faceless, empty, suit in the state capitol or in Washington D.C. This is “taxation with representation” for all the people. The cookie jar is closed. Budget items that have the financial backing of the taxpayer get funds. Others do not! Snail Darter champions can put their tax dollars where their heart is.
“Deplorables” can use their tax dollars to build that “wall.” Whatever is in the budget that citizens really want gets funds.
How This Works
Making this work takes little more than adding another page to your tax return. On this page, you identify by subject matter and/or budget line item number exactly where and how much of your tax money is to be used. You can also state where you tax money is absolutely NOT to be used. This works for Federal Income Tax as well as State Income Tax. This will not work well for other specific taxes like Real estate, Lottery Tickets, Sales tax, and/or Personal property taxes.
The national and state budgets will be made available on-line and through local libraries and as a special request in hard copy. Those documents (and only those documents) determine how the government spends your tax money. This system is not a stretch. Off-the-shelf computer programs are available to automate this activity. Human hands need low touch to make this happen. It has been very successful in other places. One of the most successful has been the United Way. Corporate giving to employees grew substantially when the giver was allowed, to identify precisely where they wanted their contributions to be used and where they did not want their money to be used. This pulled the teeth on employee contribution resistance to give if they did not have control on how their money was to be used. Many charitable organizations in need of funds have both supporters and detractors. No one wants their money to go to places they do not agree to support. This is exactly the same issue taxpayers have with state and federal governments. This is exactly the way to put taxation representation back into the hands and pockets of “we the people.” This will “close that cookie jar in the capital” once and for all.
Power to the People
Power to the people is radical. No red blooded congressman will vote for this. A “Convention of States” is the place to launch this. Only such a place could cause this kind of simple change to happen. The “status quo” of lobbyists, pet congresspeople, vested interest groups will not want to lose this kind of power to the body politic.
Elected Officials have one over-arching goal, “get re-elected.” Every move they make is directed to that end. That great pork barrel from which they dip out money for special interests, lobbyists, and corporations is filled from the citizens own tax dollars. The time is now to stop the pork. Let the people put their money where their heart is. Let the people halt projects that have no support from the people.
To keep governments functioning, there will likely be a portion of tax dollars dedicated to necessary administration, defense, disaster relief. Every taxpayer will be required to support these.
Love taxes. They will pay for what you want. You will have that power so long withheld. Take back the control of government.
We are in the process right now of using Article V of the U.S. Constitution that gives states the power to call a Convention of States to propose amendments.
It takes 34 states to call the convention and 38 to ratify any amendments that are proposed. Our convention would only allow the states to discuss amendments that, “limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, impose fiscal restraints, and place term limits on federal officials.”
Go HERE to sign the petition, in addition you can apply to become a volunteer.
