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From: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR)
Newsgroups: net.taxes
Subject: Re: Responses on Schiff stuff
Message-ID: <612@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 14-Mar-86 15:07:47 EST
Article-I.D.: mmm.612
Posted: Fri Mar 14 15:07:47 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Mar-86 10:02:15 EST
References: <1177@decwrl.DEC.COM> <521@mmm.UUCP> <12205@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR)
Organization: none
Lines: 56

In article <12205@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Tom Tedrick) writes:
>>	Just out of curiosity, how do you propose that the government
>>finance its operation? Seriously - I'm not baiting you, I would truly
>>like for my thoughts to be provoked. I agree with you that there are
>>aspects that are horrendous, but I haven't heard any reasonable 
>>alternatives yet.
>
>Well :-) here is my plan. All taxes should be "indirect", ie no
>direct taxes that the general public will notice unless they
>make an effort to look into what is going on. Since the masses
>tend to sink into complacency when not provoked, this seems
>to be the most politically expedient method.
>
	A little cynical, perhaps, but I'm inclined to agree with the
	sentiment.

>For example, heavy taxes on oil imports and other imported
>goods, taxes on liquor, cigarettes levied on the producers,
>etc. No direct income or sales taxes.

	Except that taxes on producers have the effect of raising the
	prices, which amounts to a sales tax. Sales taxes are uneven
	in their bite - poor people pay X% of their income on things
	that they have to buy, while rich people's % is lower, 
	effectively taxing the rich on a smaller portion of their
	income.

>That way, not only
>are the masses not stirred up by having to pay taxes directly,
>costs of collecting taxes should go down since there would be
>fewer groups to collect from and they would be easier to
>identify. 

	Good point.
	
>Also taxing imports is politically expedient since
>it would have the support of local producers. Finally, legalization
>and heavy taxation of narcotics, would be useful, transferring
>wealth from organized crime to organized government, at the
>same time reducing enforcement costs, reducing drug related
>crime, and returning criminals to more productive activity.

	I agree 100%

>
>If all else fails, we can also print more money to finance
>the government, borrow money, etc., and blame the resulting
>inflation on the arabs :-)

	And the commies.

-- 
					--MKR

Sometimes even the President of the United States must have to 
stand naked.    - Dylan