You Thought That Was a Good Thing?
Whether you agree or not is irrelevant—the economy today is a joke. I watched the State of the Union, and it made me less suspicious of the president being a naïve old fogie and more certain of it. I won’t dissect the whole thing, but I will call out the “tax corporations more, and tax the rich” drumbeat.
Ever feel a churn in your gut? I did while he bragged about how well the economy’s doing and what he’ll accomplish “in the next few months.” HE’S BEEN IN OFFICE FOR CENTURIES! Why wasn’t this handled before? “It was—about seven years ago?” Then what happened—an election three years back and that’s all? (We’ve all heard the rumors; moving on.) Let’s talk taxes. Not Texas (that’s an entirely different discussion).
Taxes. He wants to tax corporations and the rich (anyone making over $400k). Sounds good to me! How about you? No? Why not? The rich and corporations SHOULD pay their fair share! For those of you unfamiliar with sarcasm, you just missed it. If corporations are taxed, the cost usually lands on you through higher prices, smaller raises, fewer jobs, or skinnier 401(k)s. Corporations don’t literally write the final check to reality—customers, workers, and shareholders do in some mix. That means your load gets heavier. “Unfair!” Here—have a two-cent tissue with a five-cent tax. Blow your brains out. (Kidding. Sarcasm. I’m helpful like that.)
For anyone freshly released from the un-education system, here’s the simple version: do you really need the latest shiny gadget? If yes, you’re not exactly eco-sainting—and why do you feel you need it? I’m not a tree hugger (unless I’m climbing it), but I don’t chase every resource-wasting gizmo either.
Back to the fut… subject (’80s joke, sorry not sorry). Taxes: we all pay them. Do you really know how much of your money goes to taxes? Neither do I, but my bet is the tally feels north of 50% once you add it all up—income tax, sales tax, fees, permits, gas, phone, the works. Here’s a fun list (check your pulse after). And when you’re done, slide to the bottom of the linked page for some bar-stool economics (joke).
So if you still think raising taxes is a good thing, riddle me this: what is your time worth? I keep a line on my wall: “I’ve never bought anything with money. Everything I have was bought with pieces of time I sold from my life to a job that will never have paid enough when my time is up.” Read that again. Let it hit. Now how much is your time worth? Wages will never feel high enough, and taxes will always be there.
Next: are our highest-paid officials worth your tax dollars for their “outcome production” (oxymoron noted)? Are the prices you pay for goods and services really a fair reflection of value? If you haven’t yet, read my last post—Build It and They Will Buy—it echoes this.
The next time you’re ready to throw a fist at someone who wants lower taxes and fewer restrictions, pause. They’re sick of a wasteful government with low results for high spend. And if you’re one of those living on the government’s “free money,” that money isn’t free for the people who worked so you didn’t have to. If you still want to swing at folks saying the lazy should do more than bitch about how bad life is, don’t be shocked when they knock you off your high horse. They’re working. They’ve got the muscle.
