SOME VERY TAXING FACTOIDS! (GREAT COCKTAIL PARTY CONVERSATION FACTS FOR THE HOLIDAY SESSON!
(NOTE: SIT DOWN before you read these facts as you may faint dead away!* Total tax collections in the U.S. are expected to be $2,667,000,000,000 in 1998.(1) This represents 35.4% of the country's total income. (THIS is trillion I am informed!!!)
(2) footnote TWO TRILLION SIXHUNDRED SEVENTY BILLION......etc.* Medieval serfs paid an effective tax rate of 33.3% and were considered
slaves.(3) So they were taxed LESS but knew what they were! WE HAVEN'T A
CLUE!* The Tax Foundation (a non partisan organization established in 1937)
calculates something known as "Tax Freedom Day". The calculation
illustrates the average number of days Americans work into a year to pay
their taxes.Year Tax Freedom Day
1930 Feb 12
1950 Apr 3
1970 Apr 26
1980 Apr 30
1990 May 1
1998 May 10GET IT? YOU WORK JAN 1 to MAY 10th to pay SAM TO BOMB IRAQ!
(2)
* In 1997, Democrat Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said "I don't
think the American people are overtaxed." In 1997, Bill Clinton told the
people of Virginia, that they would be "selfish" to favor a reduction in
the Virginia car tax.(4)* Bill Clinton made this claim in his Feb,2,1998 State of The Union
Address: The typical middle class family will have the lowest tax rate
in 20 years.(5) Federal taxes in 1998 will be 20.1% of the Gross
Domestic Product, which is the highest level any year since World War
2.(24) Tax Freedom Day (an average) has been pushed out 9 days since
Bill Clinton became President. Taxes for the U.S. median family as a
percentage of income:
1977 1997
single income family 33.9% 35.9%
dual income family 36.5% 37.6%(2)footnote
* Republicans attempted to pass a Constitutional Amendment in 1997 that
would have required a 3/5ths majority vote in both Houses of Congress in
order to run a deficit. To create a Constitutional Amendment, it must
pass both Houses of Congress with a 2/3 majority and 3/4 of the
individual States must ratify it. The Amendment was defeated primarily
by Democrats. N.J. Senator, Democrat Bob Toricelli promised voters in
his 1995 campaign that he would vote for a Balanced Budget Amendment. He
voted against the Amendment and it failed to pass the Senate by one
vote. (10)(14)* The tax cuts in the 1997 budget agreement were pushed for and secured
by Republicans. The tax cuts included an increased child tax credit and
a reduction in the capital gains tax. As of 1998, Republicans in
Congress are trying to enact numerous proposals to cut taxes. Among the
proposals: ending the marriage penalty, eliminating estate taxes,
further reducing the capital gains tax, and elminating the tax on Social
Security benefits. (11)* In 1997, the top 1% of income earners in this country paid 29% of the
total federal income taxes.
The top 10% of income earners paid 60% of the total federal income
taxes.
The top 20% of income earners paid 74% of the total federal income
taxes.
The bottom 50% of income earners paid 5% of the total federal income
taxes. (6)* 32% of individual federal income taxes are needed in order to pay the
interest on the national debt of $3,500,000,000,000.(15)(16)(1998
figures)* The "Flat Tax" is a proposal by Republicans Dick Armey and Richard
Shelby to change the federal income tax to a single flat rate of 17%.
Under this proposal, a family of 4 with an income of $48,890 would pay
$2,990 in federal income taxes, as opposed to the $3,967 they would pay
under the current system (1998 figures).(2)* A family of 4 with an income of $32,000 would pay no federal income
taxes under a flat tax (1998 figures).(7)* A flat tax would reduce the costs of compliance (i.e. accounting
costs, tax attorneys)with the federal tax code. If the costs of
compliance ($236,000,000,000 in 1997) were added into the Tax Freedom
Day calculation, Tax Freedom Day would come 13 days later into the
year.(2)* A flat tax would reduce the influence of the 67,000 lobbyists employed
by special interest groups who lobbied the federal government to the
tune of $8,400,000,000 in 1997. Most lobbyists work securing and
protecting tax deductions, shelters, and loopholes for their
employers.(8)* Bill Clinton and most Democrats are opposed to a flat tax.(8)
* Taxes we pay, which we may not be aware of, are called "hidden taxes".
Typically, hidden taxes start out as corporate taxes and are eventually
passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices.(17)* As of 1998, there are 30 taxes on a gallon of gas amounting to 54% of
the final purchase price. There are 18 taxes on a pizza.(17)* In the 1996 Telecom Bill, there exists language that asks the FCC to
"enhance" the access of school children to the Internet. The FCC (run by
political appointees) decided the language in that bill allows them to
tax the telephone companies in order to pay the cost of wiring schools
for Internet access.(18) A vote of Congress is required to establish a
federal tax. Congress did not vote on this.(19)* The FCC expected the phone companies to absorb this tax. Many phone
companies defied the FCC and listed the tax as a separate line item on
the phone bill.(18)(22)* To administer this program, the FCC created a new bureaucracy. The
head administrator, Ira Fishman, was assigned a salary of $200,000. The
total cost of the program would have been about $2.3 billion, costing
the average household $25/year.(23)* When Republicans protested, The FCC cut the program to $1.3 billion,
cutting wealthier schools out of the program and folding the bureaucracy
into an already existent corporation.(18)* Al Gore supported this proposal and went on tour with then FCC
chairman Reed Hundt, speaking about the federal mandate to wire every
school and library for Internet access.(23) On June 10,1998 Al Gore
stated "Students in predominately minority schools were 3 times less
likely to have Internet access than those in predominately white
schools."(20) On June 8,1998 Al Gore stated, "The e-rate is critical to
our efforts to put computers in every classroom and library, giving
every child the tools to succeed." (19) According to the 1997 tax return
of Al and his wife Tipper, they earned $197,729 and gave $343 to
charity.(21)Sources:
1) McCaslin, John. "Inside The Beltway: Pay to play." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, June 8-14, 1998.2) Tax Foundation Website (www.taxfoundation.org) August 7, 1998.
3) Mitchell, Daniel. "Working for The Man until May 10." Washington
Times National Weekly Edition, May 18-24, 1998.4) Pierce, Greg. "Inside Politics: The real stripes." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, November 10-16, 1997.5) Miller, James III. "Clinton budget just doesn't add up." Washington
Times National Weekly Edition, February 9-15, 1998.6) Lambro, Donald. "Debunking popular American myths." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, September 1-7, 1997.7) Independent calculations based on data from Source 2
8) Armey, Dick. "Here's a way to flatten taxes." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, November 24-30, 1997.9) Family Research Council. "Tax Limitation Amendment." Legislative
Hotline, March 6, 1998.10) The Republican Presidential Task Force. "One Man. One Vote. One
Betrayal." American In Crisis, 1998.11) Hallow, Ralph Z. & Godfrey, John. "GOP's tax proposals evoke
Reagan's." Washington Times National Weekly Edition, January 22-28,
1998.12) Akers, Mary Ann & Godfrey, John. "GOP says Clinton spending plan may
break the budget." Washington Times National Weekly Edition, February
2-8, 1998.13) Kudlow, Lawrence. "Republicans should take credit for the budget
surplus." Washington Times National Weekly Edition, February 2-8, 1998.14) Project Vote Smart Website (www.vote-smart.org) August 7, 1998.
15) Editorial: "Don't start the celebrations just yet." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, January 12-18, 1998.16) Independent calculations based on data from sources 2 and 15.
17) Pierce, Greg. "Inside Politics: Hidden taxes." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, December 29, 1997-January 4, 1998.18) Editorial: "The Gore tax." Washington Times National Weekly Edition,
June 22-28, 1998.19) Kellner, Mark A. "Al Gore's tollbooth on the information
superhighway." Washington Times National Weekly Edition, June 15-21,
1998.20) Kopecki, Dawn. "'Gore tax' is too costly, Senators tell the FCC."
Washington Times National Weekly Edition, June 15-21, 1998.21) Pierce, Greg. "Inside Politics: Gore's Reply." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, April 27-May 3, 1998.22) Notice sent by Bell Atlantic Phone Company, received on January 7,
1998.23) Pierce, Greg. "Inside Politics: Doesn't get it." Washington Times
National Weekly Edition, December 15-21, 1997.24) Lambro, Donald. "A big lie about our 'small' government." Washington
Times National Weekly Edition, February 16-22, 1998.~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
At one time in my life, I thought I had a handle on the meaning of the word
'service' 'It's the act of doing things for other people.'Then I heard these terms which reference the word SERVICE:
Internal Revenue Service
Postal Service
Telephone Service
Civil Service
City &County Public Service
Customer Service
Service Stations
Secret Service, et alNow I was confused about the word 'service.' This is not what I thought 'service' meant.
So today, I overheard two farmers talking, and one of them said he had
hired a bull to 'service' a few of his cows. BAM! It all came into
perspective. Now I understand what all those 'service' agencies are doing to us.Tax Poem unknown author
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed..
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts Anyway!Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt..
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Til he has no dough.When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him til
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.Put these words
upon his tomb,
' Taxes drove me to my doom...'When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
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ICE - Investigating Curious Evidence
Web site: http://iresist.com/ice/
E-mail: ice@iresist.comMY BROTHER WROTE ME: discard H and R Block. Last year, they robbed me of $320 for my tax return. I decided that I needed to find another agency. So, this year my new agent charged $80 for my tax return. They filed electronically for both IRS and Sacramento, and today, March 28th, I have already gotten my state refund. My IRS refund has been used to credit my account for the 2009 taxes.
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