Video: How to end corruption in federal government
posted at 10:11 am on April 21, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Every two years, America goes through a Kabuki dance on corruption in Washington DC. We listen to endless promises from politicians of both parties about how they’ll clean up the swamp in the nation’s capital, sometimes by replacing pols that have already demonstrated corrupt behavior, or in other cases by demonizing lobbyists and “special interest groups”. Occasionally, we’re stupid enough to believe them — and then act as shocked as Captain Louis Renault when we discover they didn’t really mean it.
Dan Mitchell from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity explains why corruption thrives on Capitol Hill in his latest video:
In other words, as long as we keep aggregating so much of our money in one spot, corrupt people will flock there like seagulls on a garbage scow. What’s more, we’re the ones providing the incentive. We demand federal action, we elect people for bringing home the bacon, and then we sit in dazed wonder when corruption ensues from having trillions of dollars up in the air in one place for people to grab.
Here are some hard truths to life:
- Want to lose weight? Eat less and exercise more.
- Want to have more cash? Work harder and spend less.
- Want to end corruption in Washington DC? Cut the budget and the size of government.
Few people really want to hear those truths. They want magic pills for all of their concerns instead of acting out of common sense. If we send less of our money to DC and move responsibilities back to the states and local communities, we won’t have to worry about whether we get our fair share back from DC. Instead, we can use our own money to solve our own problems without hiring lobbyists to get it back, and we can address our own issues in the manner we like.
Our founding fathers knew all of this. We’ve forgotten it in the vain attempt to find magic pills in a swamp.
Blowback
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There’s the key.
It’s why conservative ND has Dems for their national offices & Repubs for their local legislature.
Even the local Dem leaders here are pretty socially conservative.
The farmers & others here want their govt $$.
Their govt whore $$ I should say.
And they wonder why USA is going to he!! in a handbasket.
Badger40 on April 21, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Exactly right. The changes need to be structural. Because you can’t efficiently regulate away human behavior.
dedalus on April 21, 2009 at 10:17 AM
It’s common sense posts like this that the Trolls never post on, except for maybe, “It’s Boosches fault!”
I have to look at all this and hope, yes hope, that it wakes up another 5% of Americans, and the Democrats are routed out in the next elections. But, they still have their Pravda news feeding them continual lies.
kirkill on April 21, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Works for me!
JellyToast on April 21, 2009 at 10:20 AM
drain the #$&(*^# swamp! Cut off funding.
gatorboy on April 21, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Ain’t going to happen on this watch…and BTW, it is always the “other guy” who is doing wrong.
right2bright on April 21, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Wow!! What a great idea. Too bad hardly anybody who needs to hear it will hear it…and even if they did, would not be capable of seeing the good sense?
jeanie on April 21, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Ethics without accountability is not ethics. Those who do not understand the concept of ethics cannot be controlled without those who will not hold them accountable for their unethical behavior. Liars and thieves not being held accountable only breeds contempt for the entire concept.
volsense on April 21, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Let’s look at it another way, “Baited Field!” Now we have them all in one place, kill them all – figuratively of course.
rgranger on April 21, 2009 at 10:25 AM
simple 4 step plan to end corruption
1) Abolish the IRS
2) Constitutional amendment forbading the tax on wages/achievment
3) Institute the FairTax
4) Term limits: 4 terms for congressmen & 2 terms for senate
gatorboy on April 21, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Excellent post. One of the biggest cheers at the Nashville Tea party was when my husband told the Democrats in attendance they need to take their party back. Conservatives on both sides of the aisle need to take their parties back. This grabfest for more money and more government power is insane.
http://www.teapartynation.com
tnmama on April 21, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Great video and good post.
The problem is we have an election system in which people BEG to be powerful. Then when they win, for them to shrink the government, we have to have them DEMAND that they restrict or lose their own power.
I’ve said before. Washington could have been king. He said he didn’t want to be king and gave up the Presidency. If you ask any politician in Washington now if they want to be king, every one of them would say ‘MAKE ME KING’
Politicians would be required to vote that they get less power. Term limits would be a big help, but politicians would have to vote for that.
Bottom line is that our system is only set up for getting bigger, not smaller. Someone who wants to make the government smaller would not be in position to beat someone out of an election that wants the power, just to be powerful.
Either term limits, or make some criterion for the privilege of voting. Voting isn’t supposed to be a right. So long as it is, pandering will work – and pandering will be necessary to win.
ThackerAgency on April 21, 2009 at 10:29 AM
LESS GOVERNMENT…..LESS TAXES….should be the rally call for the 2010 elections. let us all vote these greedy, corrupt, self serving politicians out of DC.
I am going to be calling for the end to Mclame to retire back to the hanoi where (sadona) RINO’s belong
hawkman on April 21, 2009 at 10:29 AM
This brilliant video covers a topic that’s been bubbling in the back of my mind (to write about in my blog) for quite some time. They explained the problem & the solution much better than I could have.
jgapinoy on April 21, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Unless we all email it to our contacts.
jgapinoy on April 21, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Sounds like federalism to me.
(that’s a good thing!)
Browncoatone on April 21, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Might be a good platform plank for a GOP candidate to run on in 2012.
jeanie on April 21, 2009 at 10:38 AM
1 vote for every $1,000 PAID in federal taxes. This nation would be reformed after the first election.
gatorboy on April 21, 2009 at 10:39 AM
If any of you have commenting priviledges on Michelle’s site please post the following on Katrina Pierson’s speech, “Hey libs, look out for the new hurricane Katrina!”
shick on April 21, 2009 at 10:42 AM
It is Megan mcCain’s fault. Her dad stepped on some toes of comnservatives and also lacked personality appeal. Gov Palin had what Mccain lacked but it was not enough then. Gov Palin had a great track record in attacking problems in Alaska.
seven on April 21, 2009 at 10:43 AM
How about a few for the privilege of becoming president?
fogw on April 21, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Set up a guillotine on the landing at Capital Hill, give all of Congress lottery ticket and throw them in a hat. Draw one out, install that one in the machine, lop off the head and do it all over again.
We could just set it up and demand that those that are corrupt and they know who they are, resign or face the penalty and demand that those future corruptocrats face the penalty
larvcom on April 21, 2009 at 10:47 AM
How about the pols have to live under the same rules as the military: same paygrades, same food, same living conditions, same requirements before being able to retire, same UCMJ legal system.
You want to serve the public, fine, here is your chance, just be sure to read ALL of the articles of the UCMJ, especially the last one.
Bishop on April 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Gimme, gimme, gimme.
I’m entitled.
davidk on April 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Absolutely and no DC positions after 4 years
dhunter on April 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM
The biggest benefit of the tea parties was the lack of emphasis on party affiliation and keeping professional politicians on the sidelines. Both parties have succesfully fogged the issue by making it one of partisan politics. It isn’t. Keep that theme going, folks. The dark side of human nature is the culprit.
a capella on April 21, 2009 at 10:50 AM
We need a constitutional amendment. The system is corrupt. “Cut the budget and size of the government” means absolutely nothing. The system is geared for corruption and will “right” itself at the earliest opportunity.
Change the base, no monetary gifts of any kind for elected officials and immediate family for life. Period. Provide a salary to compensate for their future earning loss. A Public Servant who receives a lifetime salary should be treated accordingly. Set up an independent body elected by the people to review the personal finances our public servants, investigate and prosecute if needed.
Remove the incentives. Want to run for re-election? Use your salary, say a percentage of said salary. Keep the same cap on people who run for election.
joshlbetts on April 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
It’s not a swamp, its a SEPTIC pond. Other than that I agree with you.
We need to pump it out, bulldoze in several tons of nice clean loam, plant grass and make an empty park there. Where we can toss our dogs Frisbees.
dogsoldier on April 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Let’s not forget mandatory eduction for the idiots who keep voting in the same corrupt politicians.
orlandocajun on April 21, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Yup, I’ve been arguing this for years. The reason why Washington is so corrupt is because there is just far too much unaccountable money floating around that town. The only sane solution to Washington’s moral issues is to reduce the amount of money which currently acts as a magnet for the corrupt.
Zetterson on April 21, 2009 at 10:57 AM
It’s a self-perpetuating decline. Dare to run on a platform that actually cuts government and you get tossed out.
That’s the reason why I call the two parties the bipartisan Party-In-Government.
steveegg on April 21, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Most of the politicians cannot get real jobs. If they act like they do in Washington D.C. in private industry most of our “elected” officials would be in jail. Since when are politicians above the law? Because the public keeps electing liars, crooks, pimps & whores to spend your money. We must start by keeping the 500,000 watt light on the the pimps – Dodd, Pelosi and the whores – Frank, Reid. It won’t stop until you stop it.
izoneguy on April 21, 2009 at 11:00 AM
That is a half truth. The other half is prosecuting the corrupt, tossing them in jail and throwing away the key.
But even with that latter half, corruption will not end. It never “ends.” It just adapts to the new conditions, and in that way, it is no different than tax avoidance or campaign finance, or putting up your umbrella when it starts to rain.
But I agree totally with the solution offered. It’s just the cut of budget and size should be x 4 — two times just for it’s own sake and 2 times to send it back to states and localities where our representatives are much closer to the stockpile of tar and feathers.
Dusty on April 21, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Dan Mitchell rocks on truth.
…in the vanity of progressivism.
maverick muse on April 21, 2009 at 11:01 AM
I’ve always felt that if there should be no taxation without representation, there should be no representation without taxation. In other words, if you don’t pay taxes, you shouldn’t get to vote for people who will decide how taxes are used.
I know it’s nowhere near that simple, but it would eliminate a lot of real, and percieved problems.
As long as people who don’t pay taxes continue to vote for politians who raise taxes to give to them, we’ll never see an end to the continued abuse of power. I mean, it would seriously help the illegal alien problem (do you really think Democrats would be fighting so hard to give them amnesty if the illegal aliens couldn’t vote for them until they got a legal job paying taxes?)
It could even help with people from both ends of the spectrum of religion. Both Jessie Jackson AND Pat Robertson would have to seriously consider if they wanted to keep their tax-exempt status more than exercise their privelege to vote.
As long as there are 3 generations of people on welfare, with a 4th generation on the way, more and more of the remaining few very hard earned dollars will be siphoned off.
Anyway, that’s my $0.02 (after taxes, $0.01 rounded up)
DrAllecon on April 21, 2009 at 11:02 AM
A constitutional amendment with these tools in office? Not likely. Let us not forget that these people won’t police themselves or punish those unless there is a firestorm coming at them.
Secondly, if we could just force them to obey the constitution as it stands, progress would be made.
larvcom on April 21, 2009 at 11:10 AM
How about getting rid of the 16th Amendment.
batter on April 21, 2009 at 11:12 AM
It might help to separate the MSM from the Government seeing how CNN and MSNBC have been carrying Obama’s water.
Imus Guest Howard Kurtz, CNN reliable sources, can’t produce his communist card :)
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/04/imus-guest-howard-kurtz-cant-produce.html
Imus gets Howard to admit he knows exactly what the tax day tea partys were about, and it wasn’t people protesting paying their taxes.
Dr Evil on April 21, 2009 at 11:13 AM
That isn’t exactly a panacea. How out of control are Texas, Nevada and Florida getting without personal income taxes?
steveegg on April 21, 2009 at 11:23 AM
That’s an excellent reform program! We might think about extending term limits to federal judges too. You’ll need a Constitutional Convention to get all of this done, a possibility that seems increasingly less remote as the shadow of Obama’s irresponsible spending looms higher. When that mountain of debt comes crashing down, the public will be looking for a way to resolve the crisis and prevent it from ever happening again, and many things which were unthinkable a few years ago will become topics for discussion.
In light of the latest appalling tale of Democrat corruption from Dianne Feinstein, and the media’s unbroken string of utter failures to cover any of it, I think it’s more important than ever for Republicans to whip themselves into fighting ethical shape and start hollering about corruption from the mountaintops. It will prove to be a grueling workout for the Republican party, but at least they have the advantage of an aggressive media weeding out the worst of their excesses over the years – they’re a bit less ethically flabby than the morbidly obese Democrats who have been gorging themselves on taxpayer dollars for decades.
The corruption angle is a critical one for conservatives to hammer politically, with more excellent vehicles like this video and Ed’s great post, because it brings us closer to puncturing one of the foundational delusions of American liberalism: that money only becomes virtuous when government dispenses it. This is an absurd notion held sacred by all liberals, and serves as one of the pillars of their philosophy. The miracle of financial transubstantiation, in which the noble and selfless State magically converts filthy, dirty money into particles of radiant virtue, is a key component of the socialist religion. Di-Fi is a repeat offender in a long perp walk of corrupt politicians whose behavior conclusively proves there is nothing inherently noble or virtuous about the State – it’s even less honest than private industry, because it can rely on the media to cover the worst of its abuses, and highlight the beneficiaries of its expensive programs without dwelling on those who are robbed to provide the financing.
If the mendacity and corruption of our politicians is iron proof that everything really is All About The Money, then it follows the pretension of moral superiority that entitles the State to control a huge chunk of the economy is laughable. With the centralized leviathan state, you get all the greed and dishonesty of the worst elements of the private sector, with half the efficiency. Let a private sector guided by sensible laws against fraud and monopoly create, invest, and spend the wealth of the nation, watched carefully by a media that will always be eager to pounce on its misdeeds to make their own fortune. Let the mistakes and foolish investments be made by a private sector that can suffer the consequences and learn from its errors. Let the trillions of dollars coursing through the economy be spent by people who don’t think they can just print up more when their supply runs low.
Let’s be realistic about the existence of incentives and their effect on workers, managers, investors, AND public officials. We have suffered too long from the delusion that our political class is smarter, wiser, and more selfless than the rest of us. May our children grow up in a world that lets them laugh at us for ever believing that… once they’re finished paying off the titanic bills we allowed our political class to run up in our name.
Doctor Zero on April 21, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Nearly all Americans hate Congress, but nearly everyone likes HIS Congressman. That’s why a change to the system has to be nationwide.
This is why the Tea Parties are so important – and why they should focus just on this message: reducing the size of federal government to less than half what it now is. (Or rather, half of what it was at the beginning of last year; with all the that’s happened in the past few months, I don’t even know if it’s possible to calculate the “current budget.”)
logis on April 21, 2009 at 11:28 AM
DrAllecon on April 21, 2009 at 11:02 AM
——
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” ~ Alexis de Tocqueville
We’re pocked until we remember this simple thing.
acat on April 21, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Although I am not a religious person I do believe that most of us are born sinners. Which is a more direct way of saying that most of us need an incentive to do the right thing in most circumstances.
I sell to government agencies. I get the calls every year from all of the agencies I cover in my territory all telling me the same thing. “Hey. My year end is coming up next month and I have $200,000.00 I need to burn”. I’ve sold millions of dollars in unnecessary equipment to the government just to help the manager of a governmental department make sure they have spent their total annual budgeted amount.
In case you’re not familiar with this phenomena, what happens is that almost all government organizations get an annual budget that is based on an increase from last years budget (whether they need it or not). They will get this increase if, and only if, they spend ALL of the money they were given in the previous budget year. If they do not spend ALL of the money in their previous budget year they will not get an increase in their budget for the following year.
Essentially, government organizations are punished for acting responsible with taxpayer money. They are given an incentive to act irresponsibly with money. With this being the case, should we be surprised that government keeps growing and wasting? No. We shouldn’t because it is set up for waste and failure.
The only real way to change this is to incent the workers and managers in government to do the right thing. Until then it doesn’t matter who is in power, Democrat, Republican, Marxist, Libertarian. The government will continue to waste and spiral out of financial control until we change the incentives.
watson007 on April 21, 2009 at 11:34 AM
The term limits should be 2 terms for all and.. when they take office ALL their assets go into a triple blind trust until they leave office, no conflict of interests.
belad on April 21, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I forgot to add:
No pensions for elected officials.
belad on April 21, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Scratch the third step and you got a good plan. A sales tax is not necessarily “better” than an income tax, and the current federal proposal, which would necessitate a proctological exam of earnings (or alternately, purchases) to allow for a refund, is worse.
steveegg on April 21, 2009 at 11:48 AM
The people bave become so used to being bribed by theie Congresscritters that they don’t mind them skimming a littlr. Of course the bottom line is that we are losinf our freedom and our nation.
If local expenditures were kept local then so could control and all the overhead that is used by the IRS to collect the money, all the bureaucracy that manages it and our lives, the huge congressional staffs the distribute patronage and recieve the bribes could all be eliminated saving trillions of dollars and making our Republic work as stipulated in the 10th ammendment.
Amazed on April 21, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Sorry for the mispellings in the previous.
I can spell, I can’t type.
Amazed on April 21, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Actually, no, that would be a way to enhance corruption, as well as spread it around. You get a dominant Black market economy, and unelected bureaucrats in charge of everything.
Count to 10 on April 21, 2009 at 11:55 AM
larvcom on April 21, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Prohibition? That seemed like a much larger hurtle. We need to elect people for the sole purpose of an amendment.
Disregard all other issues, once the ship is righted, we can continue playing partisan politics.
joshlbetts on April 21, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I don’t think so either.
All of this creative accounting makes my head spin.
Badger40 on April 21, 2009 at 11:58 AM
hurdle
joshlbetts on April 21, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Personal income tax is real not the inherent problem — its that the amendment allowed too much wiggle room. If it mandated a flat tax with no levers except the overall tax rate, we would be fine (though we should also eliminate the business tax).
Count to 10 on April 21, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Amen!
shick on April 21, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Seriously, that is way out of line with the government limiting phraseology of the rest of the constitution. Completely open ended, with absolutely no restrictions.
Count to 10 on April 21, 2009 at 12:05 PM
In my opinion, FairTax is better than the FlatTax, but BOTH are quantum leaps better than the joke that we have now.
I’d invite everyone to study up on both proposals – I’m seeing that the FairTax poo-poo’ers are doing a passable job with their misrepresentations
gatorboy on April 21, 2009 at 12:05 PM
No, the government is allowed to raise an army of any size needed to suppress war or insurrection, so it isn’t out of line with the rest of the Constitution.
unclesmrgol on April 21, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Yes but unfortunately, the libs (yes, the conservatives aren’t much better) currently own the public and much of the higher private education systems. Education is key.
Socialists of all flavors (including the religious ones) have learned to control the masses by keeping them uneducated.
shick on April 21, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Amen!
While corruption may find a way to get through this anyway, I vote we push hard on the plan to abolish the IRS and establish turn limits as well as cutting govt. size. A congress charged with getting rid of the unelected bureacrats would accomplish a lot more than a congress leading the corrupt beaurocrats.
Christian Conservative on April 21, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Two problems, one more certain and serious than the other:
1) It is a sales tax, and not some “measly” 10%, but a substantial chunk of what you are paying. It makes a huge incentive to cheat, and, because it is not the all-or-nothing kind of cheating you might do on an income tax, it causes everyone will cheat here and there. The Black Market explodes (it would be like Prohibition all over again).
2) The Fair Tax still has the concept of deductions built into it, meaning that not only to you require an IRS bureaucracy to keep track of it, but you could have people living off of those “prebate” checks, and buying their goods on the black market.
Count to 10 on April 21, 2009 at 12:12 PM
FairTax/FlatTax, it doesn’t matter to me…as long as it is instituted.
I don’t like to see the bitter fight between the two, because what is important is the changing of the tax code, and evening out the tax burden.
Just choose one, and if the other ends up being more popular, swallow the pride, and go with the change…rare to we find two good solutions for one horrendous problem.
right2bright on April 21, 2009 at 12:14 PM
I see a true flat income tax as the only way of getting rid of the IRS function. Collect it at the point of employment, dividend, or capital sale, and have that be the end of it — no deductions, exemptions, or credits (yes, that is putting up a lot of sacred cows for wholesale slaughter, but there it is). This is a case where rough simplicity is better than tailored intricacy. That the tax rate on the poor is the same as on the rich keeps the rate low.
As for corruption, there is no way to go but to re-establish the prohibition against the spending involved. There will always be corruption in the procurement of military hardware, but we can limit it to that by preventing the federal government from spending money on anything else (except FBI and a few national regulatory bodies).
Count to 10 on April 21, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Actually, I’d like to get rid of both the 16th and 17th amendments.
The way the system used to work is that the Federal Government would send each of the States their portion of the budget voted on by the (State appointed) legislators. If the legislators voted contrary to the State’s wishes, they were recalled and replaced. Today’s method of popular votes for Senators is what has allowed for them to stay for many terms, even if they performed badly.
dominigan on April 21, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Oops… should have more clearly stated…
…the Federal Government would send each of the States a bill for their portion of the budget…
dominigan on April 21, 2009 at 12:28 PM
I don’t ask for bacon.
I can’t stop them from raising taxes.
Now what?
AnotherOpinion on April 21, 2009 at 12:31 PM
The original maximum marginal income tax rate was 2%; and only a very small number of people were subject to it.
When the 16th Amendment was drafted, some people advocated setting a maximum marginal rate of 10%. That was finally argued down – under the theory that Congress would see that insanely high number as a budgetary target, rather than as an emergency contingent.
I think it’s way past time we re-evaluate that decision.
logis on April 21, 2009 at 12:33 PM
I’m not so sure.
I talked with an extremely conservative friend, who is also a small business owner. His reasoning against the FairTax is that it amounts to a massive sales tax that would seriously cripple his business.
While you can argue that it would replace the income tax, there’s no way you can guarantee a smooth transition. During the transition period, you would have both… which would cripple all businesses until the national mindset changed.
The flat tax is truly fairer and simpler to administer, would be a smooth transition, and has the advantage of having been tried out in several emerging countries (and been successful!).
dominigan on April 21, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Any change is a change. That’s why they call it that.
logis on April 21, 2009 at 12:36 PM
term limits…
d1carter on April 21, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Here is what I wrote on the 15th:
Personally, I doubt that most of the people who went to the protests have given much thought to this. Not because they’re thoughtless so much, as because old habits die hard, including dependency.
If the size of government is to be drastically reduced, then people must learn to fend more for themselves. If that day came tomorrow, I wonder how many of us could really handle it.
manwithblackhat on April 21, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Those in power will oppose any effort to reduce their power.
The electorate is ignorant and gullible and will vote for the pretty face and empty promise.
The politically informed are a powerless minority.
Our salvation, if it comes at all, will not be via the ballot box.
The only question left in my mind is when will we reach the tipping point?
SKYFOX on April 21, 2009 at 12:41 PM
As soon as the speaker started talking about how the politicians’ first response to political corruption was to pass more (ineffective) laws it sounded just like the path the politicians take WRT to gun crime. More laws don’t mean less political corruption (or in the case of guns, less crime). It really means less liberty for us. Political corruption laws erode our 1st amendment rights (McCain-Feingold). Gun laws erode our 2nd amendment rights. And neither kind of law fixes the problem.
Anyone else want to offer other instances which show how we see this same effect in eroding our other constitutional rights by congress passing more laws which don’t fix the problem?
clarsen13 on April 21, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Damn straight.
Tim Burton on April 21, 2009 at 12:55 PM
…and not all change is good. We should understand this, especially after this past Presidential election.
I was referring to the transition period in implementing the FairTax… as soon as the (proposed) 28% additional sales tax arrived, businesses would suffer DRASTICALLY. Imagine all car or home prices jumping 28%. While you can argue that the elimination of the income tax would compensate for that, it wouldn’t sink into people’s minds for at least a year. During that year would be HELL for small and large business.
Change would be a part of both the Fair and Flat tax. But I see the transition period being MUCH smoother under a flat tax.
dominigan on April 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
No, they addressed this, by having the tax waived for any presently owned inventory. This makes the transition painless.
Tim Burton on April 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM
No there is a magic pill to end corruption. A guy sold me some the other day… At least he told me they were… Though they may be acid. It would explain why I woke up riding down the interstate on a pig wearing a dress…
Gatsu on April 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
I went to a TEA Party, and I have just considered what you wrote…
Federal jobs are waste-ridden and horribly managed. It has already been proven many times over that private firms perform much faster, with lower cost and higher quality, than Federal jobs. So no, I don’t want to see money taken from productive private business to be give to Federal, waste-ridden jobs.
Wal-marts are local and would only be impacted by STATE highway funding, not inter-state FEDERAL funding. In fact, I don’t travel much out-of-state, so the existing highways are pretty sufficient for me. For long distances, I fly.
I’m almost 40, and yet I have no illusions about seeing any of the money I’ve paid into Social Security all these years. So frankly, I don’t give a rats-ass about whether those checks are on time or not… since I will never receive them. Sorry for all those short-sited fools who didn’t provide for themselves. Two words… “ANT” and “GRASSHOPPER”… Google them. What do they expect from Government bureaucracy?
Sorry if I sound harsh, but its time for some tough love.
dominigan on April 21, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Along w/ What Dhunter said (no DC positions after 4 Years). I have a few more things to add:
6) Government spending limited to a certain percent of GDP.
7) No Deficits! Deficits mean our Children will be footing the bill, which is essentially Taxation w/o representation.
8) Institute a Federal Taxpayers Bill of rights. If money from IL, UT, and KY will pay for a farm subsidy in MO, the people from IL, UT, and KY should have a say about it. This gives the Forgotten man a voice and curbs vote buying.
Chaz706 on April 21, 2009 at 1:12 PM
You do realize that the push for the last few decades is Just In Time Inventory? Very few businesses I know carry much inventory.
So you’re saying that items in inventory at a specified time remain at the original price. And how will businesses track those items verses the new items that come into inventory? I thought we were supposed to be against unreasonable business administration as part of our tax system?????
Have you really thought through how this would work?
dominigan on April 21, 2009 at 1:15 PM
You speak truth: if government is to become smaller, less spending must be had and programs will have to go away.
Thing is: Conservatives don’t see a problem with this. Liberals do. Welfare payers do. Medicare Recipients do. AARP does. Unions do. Etc. and so forth. I could go all day with this.
I would be happy to do without a lot of things. Social Security: is a joke. I’ll never see my share of it. Medicare: has never covered me and never will. Interstate highways: give ‘em to the states. If transportation is so important to business the States will have good reason to maintain them. Federal Workers: never held a federal job, and workers there stink at them already.
Again, I could go all day with this.
The real problem is this: I’m perfectly fine with this, but I’m going to have to explain that to all the peeps in this country who think I’m batsh*t crazy because I am. At some point, it devolves in to a shouting match, and I’m not one for shouting.
Chaz706 on April 21, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Liberals pose the false choice between all-encompassing central government or anarchy. That’s patently stupid. The true choice is between local self-governance versus centralized control.
Take any state and almost any government program, and ask what “benefit” centralized control provides. For example: every year, the citizens of Minnesota pay 200 billion dollars in income tax that goes to the federal Department of Education – and every year they get back 100 billion dollars, plus 100 pages of rules telling them what they can and can’t do with their own money.
The only people who are “dependant” on that system are the parasites. Of course I understand they will be discommoded by anything that improves America. But that is not a reason to maintain the status quo.
logis on April 21, 2009 at 1:29 PM
It’s not just income tax…
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest Expense (tax on the money)
Inventory Tax I
RS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
Road Usage Taxes (truckers)
Sales Taxes
School Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Toll Bridge Taxes Toll
Tunnel Taxes
Trailer Registration
Tax Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers’ Compensation Tax
Oh…and don’t forget the dozens of fees your taxes are supposedly taking care of.
joshlbetts on April 21, 2009 at 1:31 PM
…
Good grief…
…
Chaz706 on April 21, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Another way to reduce corruption, from the brilliant Walter Williams:
Political Monopoly Power
And if we have 7500 representatives, throw them in Verizon Center during Wizards games, so they’ll have an audience for the first time since Michael Jordan’s comeback.
TheMightyMonarch on April 21, 2009 at 1:36 PM
I think that’s the whole point of the video. The government will always get money; if nothing else they can simply print dollars – effectively siphoning wealth directly out of the economy without bothering with taxes at all.
The real issue is government SPENDING. Eliminate everything not directly addressed in the Constitute, and you cut federal spending to about 1/3 of what it is right now.
Fix that and every other problem – corruption, taxes, inflation, federal deficit, recession, etc… will all be drastically reduced.
logis on April 21, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Sorry Chaz.
How about this?
You buy a car, your taxed. You sell the car and the gov takes part of the money (tax). The person who bought the car has to give the government money (tax). Then the person with the new car has to pay a “fee” (tax) for registration, and possibly a “fee” (tax) for new plates. ON and ON and ON.
Half the price of gas is TAX.
joshlbetts on April 21, 2009 at 1:42 PM
logis on April 21, 2009 at 1:39 PM
They spend because they are corrupt.
The corruption is the key. No incentive, no corruption. Stop the flow of money to cronies and family and you’re there.
It’s the simplest solution.
joshlbetts on April 21, 2009 at 1:46 PM
I kinda already knew that before your explanation.
But now I know that for sure. A very enlightening post. I’m just a tad overwhelmed at all the different forms of excise you just posted. Overall, I’m extremely impressed.
And NO, I’m no fan of taxes.
In short: +2 to your original post.
An excellent link with an excellent idea.
Chaz706 on April 21, 2009 at 1:57 PM
It is a round robin. More trough sloppers, more singleminded voters. More trough sloppers.
saiga on April 21, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Instead of an engine for achievement and success, Obama is turning the US into an engine of dependent welfare addicts on the dola.
To be broke and miserable is better than being broke and content because misery motivates, contentment with failure does not.
saiga on April 21, 2009 at 2:52 PM
One step that would help, is to force Congress to give up funding pet projects. We need the Federal Government to focus on the essentials of the country. If people want a new park, light rail, or a museum, let them raise the money in their own state, or district. If, and only IF, the Federal government has a surplus, then they can send that back to the states to be used by the states. If we quit letting these clowns in D.C. act like Santa Clause, that would help end alot of the corruption.
Salukidog on April 21, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Better leave the country to a place without US extradition: Napolitanio’s Brown Shirts will be after you.
burt on April 21, 2009 at 5:09 PM