Taxed to death
To the editor:
When we think of government and the people whom we choose to represent us, how many among us give any serious thought to the power we are placing in the hands of those who would be our legislators when we elect them to office? Not too many, I would venture to say!
In the establishment of our nation over two hundred years ago while discussing taxation – it was founding father Thomas Jefferson who warned us all “if the people are not careful, they will see the day come when they are taxed in their comings and goings, with their food and drink and all things involved with their everyday lives.” “The power of taxation is the power to destroy and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Today in the year of our Lord, 2014 it is obvious that “we the people” have ignored the warning of this founding father and thus find ourselves deep in the throes of his dire prediction due to the efforts of many whom we have elected down through the years. Today we are the proud possessors of federal income taxes, state income taxes, city income taxes, nation, state and local sales taxes.
We have commuter taxes, real estate taxes, tobacco and liquor taxes, beer taxes, capital gains taxes, Social Security taxes and just about every tax imaginable.
We need licenses to build a home and licenses to tear it down.
We drive around in heavily taxed vehicles on heavily taxed roads using heavily taxed fuels to get from place to place.
Enter a tunnel you pay. Cross a bridge you pay. Stop for a bite to eat you pay. Ride a bus, a train or a plane and the tax collector is your ever-constant companion. Is this what is supposed to be in this free country of ours?
It seems we elect and pay people to represent our interests and then allow as their major function the dreaming up of schemes to tax us all more heavily.
The process seems never ending.
Perhaps one day we will all wake up, cast all the devils with all their schemes from our governments, but I doubt it – in my life time.
Joe Curran
Cape Coral