102 lines
5.0 KiB
Plaintext
102 lines
5.0 KiB
Plaintext
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LIFE WITHOUT TAXES
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A Libertarian Outlook
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by Gerald Schneider, Ph.D.
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Death and taxes--can we escape them? Well, death is
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biological, and I do not know how to avoid it. But taxes are
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political. And taxes, at least forced taxation, can be ended
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politically!
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How? By reforming our country into one where citizens pay
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only for wanted and used government services. That, after all,
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is the original American dream.
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To create such societies without chaos means switching from
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taxes to user fees to support government activities. Private
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parties would also have to be allowed to compete with government
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in providing desired services.
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What follows are realistic guidelines on how to achieve a
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nation--an America--based on voluntary association:
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Freeze New Taxes
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First, there must be a freeze on compulsory new taxes of any
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kind. Government would have to live within its current income
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level. But government employees with no immediate employment
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prospects would not be fired. And persons dependent on
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government patronage for survival would suffer no cutbacks.
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Executive government agencies other than the military and
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police needed to protect life and property would be terminated.
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Personnel from closed agencies would be asked to fill positions
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in remaining agencies vacated by death, retirement, and
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resignation. Money derived from closed agency budgets would be
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used for necessary retraining. No new government employees would
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be hired for agencies due for future extinction.
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Agency phase-out would be proportional to dropout rates for
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personnel. Forced unemployment is avoided.
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Money saved from closed agency budgets would also be offered
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as bonuses to spur voluntary exodus from government. Caps on
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salaries and promotions in agencies headed for termination could
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further stimulate unforced departure. Still another incentive to
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freely leave government work could be exemption from all income
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taxes.
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Phase Out Government Programs
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A second major thrust would be phase-out of all government
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retirement, entitlement, and subsidy benefit programs. Methods
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used would ensure that needy persons benefiting or about to
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benefit from such programs are not hurt.
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Social security and other government pensioners, or those
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near to retiring, could be paid off in a lump sum. Payoff money
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would come from sale of government assets, and funds from closed
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government agencies. Retirees would be free to invest the large
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amounts of money received any way they pleased. Political
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uncertainty about retirement would be ended.
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Younger persons could arrange for their own retirement,
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using money otherwise taken from salaries for social security
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payments. There would be no required government social security
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system.
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Massive tax credits would be offered to individuals and
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groups to assume government welfare, education, public works,
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environmental protection, and other social services. Those tax
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credits would be warranted, given the savings to government by
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not supplying those services.
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Alternatives to Taxation
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The judicial system would be made self-supporting by
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requiring convicted felons to pay court and related costs.
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Police and fire services could also be paid this way,
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supplemented by private subscription.
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Military costs, cut by about two thirds, could be funded in
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several ways. Donations and a national lottery are among the
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possibilities. Many think taxes cannot be averted here, but
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alternatives to forced taxation should be tried.
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Laws covering how we should behave could be drastically
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reduced, thereby limiting the need for elected legislators.
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Common law, which often does not require a lawyer, would suffice
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in most cases. Salaries and expenses of elected official still
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needed, likely to be part-timers, could be funded voluntarily or
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through service fees.
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Finally, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the
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legal basis of our income tax, could be repealed. Americans need
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never again fight taxation without representation!
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Reprinted from THE WHEATON NEWS of Wheaton, Maryland, Jan.
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21, 1988. For a one year subscription to Mr. Schneider's
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biweekly "Libertarian Outlook" column, send $15 to: Gerald
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Schneider, 8750 Georgia Ave., Suite 1410-B, Silver Spring, MD
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20910. Copyright 1988 Gerald Schneider, Ph.D.
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(This is the text of one of a series of eight topical Libertarian
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outreach leaflets produced by the Libertarian Party of Skagit
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County, WA. The leaflets have a panel with National LP member-
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ship information, with a space for other LP groups to stamp their
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own address and phone number. Samples and a bulk price list/
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order form are available from: Libertarian Party of Skagit
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County, P.O. Box 512, Anacortes, WA 98221.)
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