End income tax
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The American University Eagle (Washington, DC) Published Letter to the Editor. February 3, 2003. by Aaron Biterman Private sector does more for the poor I agree with Eagle Editorial page editor Margaret McElligott that President Bush's tax relief is a "joke" for those Americans in the lower income brackets ("U.S. economy, poor will suffer under Bush proposals," 1/30/03). But it shouldn't have to be that way. We have created -- or, at the very least, allowed the creation of -- a system in which the government has the power to do essentially whatever it wants to do. We then assume -- falsely so -- that the government's invasions of liberty and privacy for a little temporary security simply will not affect us personally. Studies clearly show that government intrusion in the economy decreases a country's wealth creation. Countries with more wealth creation have a more even distribution of wealth. Services provided by the private sector instead of the government sector cost, on average, half as much. Private charity is a better way to help the misfortuned than government taxation. After all, 2/3 of every private charity dollar goes to the needy, while only 1/3 of our tax dollar earmarked for welfare does. Middle-class social workers and other administrators receive most of the taxes intended for the poor. When the Statue of Liberty was erected, government was the acknowledged enemy of the poor. Lady Liberty asked for the poor, the wretched refuse, the masses, not the wealthy or skilled. Why? Because everyone understood that the poor prospered best when government didn't put them out of their jobs with excessive regulation. If the U.S. federal income tax was simply repealed, every taxpayer would save, on average, $10,000 more per year. What would you do with an extra $10,000 each year? Would you start your own business? Would you take your friends on a vacation to a place you've never been before? Or would you support your favorite charity in a way you never could do before? These are the questions we should be asking. Instead, we appear to be asking: "Which political party (of the two 'major' Big Government political parties) will help me the most?" I have a shocking response to that question: Neither of the two major political parties will help you the most. Think about it. Aaron Biterman is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and President of the AU College Libertarians. |
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