I was listening to Dave Ramsey as I drove home from work tonight, and he said a few things that really struck me. So of course I have to share these tidbits with my beloved readers! Someone wrote in and asked, "In thirty years, do you think Roth IRAs will still be around?" Dave took that question and ran with it. "It was reported that 47% of taxpayers will have no tax burden this year. Just think, half of all American taxpayers will pay nothing for the public services that benefit all of us. About ten percent of tax payers pay 70% of all the taxes in this nation. Why is that? Because of envy. Envy is a bad spirit that has swept our nation. It's a sin. If you're Catholic, it is one of the seven deadly sins. I'm not Catholic, but it is a sin. Jealousy is, 'I want what you have.' Envy is worse. It is, 'I want what you have but can't see myself ever getting it, so I want you not to have it, either.' Envy is worse than jealousy. It's wanting to punish the person who has what you don't. And it is a bad spirit that has settled over this nation. Envy is what has created a tax system that is so crazy, so unjust, that 10% of all taxpayers pay 70% of all taxes in the U.S."
Dave then mentioned another statistic that I found fascinating: "Ninety percent of millionaires in the United States are first-generation millionaires. So nine out of ten millionaires in the U.S. started out with nothing. They built their wealth from what little they had with hard work. Take Bill Gates. He started out in his garage and built a machine that changed the world. You may not like him or his methods, and that's okay. Go build a better computer. But envy is what makes others think that because he is wealthy, he should be punished. He has millions, which means he must have done something evil. What is that attitude? That is what has created this tax system that punishes those who have created wealth, that confiscates your private property for the good of others. I don't care if you use a gun or a government - that is robbery, and it's wrong."
While I do believe in supporting such public services as roads, schools, police, fire, and the like, I do not believe that the wealthy should be punished for their success. I don't believe society, the government, or anyone else has the right to decide how much money is "enough" for someone to keep, and how much is "excess" that should be taken away from them and given to others. That decision should be left up to the person who earned that money and no one else. Why do those who aren't millionaires feel so entitled to money they didn't earn, just because someone else has more of it? Why does the media excoriate the wealthy, who own businesses, create jobs, and invest in the economy, when they pay the lion's share of the cost of our public services, welfare, etc.? And while we're at it, if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi really believed in wealth redistribution, why won't she finally declare the worth of her San Francisco property and pay the property taxes on the actual value of the estate? Currently her property value is estimated at between $5 million and $25 million. Sorry, but there is a huge gap between those two estimates - why is it so darn impossible to settle on a number and pony up those tax dollars? Instead of panting after other wealthy people's money and redistributing it to people who didn't earn it, why doesn't she admit to the actual value of her own assets and redistribute her wealth to those she thinks are so deserving? I am not against charity and fair taxes and everyone pitching in to pay for the services we all use. I pay 10% of my money to my church, which is used to bless church members and non-church members alike. My 10% may not add up to much, but it the same portion of my earnings that other church members pay, like billionaire John Huntsman or milionaire Glenn Beck, and that is fair. What I am against is the attitude that those that reap the benefits of their own efforts, talents, and risk-taking are somehow evil and should be punished, and that the government has the moral authority to redistribute a disproportionate amount of private property from those that earned it to those that didn't.
As Dave Ramsey said, "The government is not going to solve your problems, you idiot! You have to get off your butt and solve them yourself!"
Just some thoughts to ponder, especially as tax time rolls around (yes, I owe taxes) and as 2012 inches closer.
3 comments:
AMEN!!!!!!!!!
The attitude of entitlement is MADDENING! When I was pregnant with Weston, we were SO broke that we couldn't even afford to rent a video from the video store. My husband literally skipped meals to save money. We had no insurance, but we never ONCE even considered looking to the government for help. It didn't even occur to us!
It disturbs me to think that almost half of all Americans don't even pay taxes.
I truly believe in helping the poor and needy, but it is absolute thievery to take my money against my will so that the government can decide who to help and how.
I love how Rush is now referring to the Obama administration as a "regime," because that is how they behave... like rulers!
I wonder if it would ever be possible to have a flat tax? I'm not even sure if that is the right answer, but it sure would be a heck of a lot better than what we've got going on now!
I have to say that a flat tax would solve an amazing amount of problems (but, as my husband pointed out, put a LOT of accountants out of business!). I do understand that I use a great deal more of my income to just make it day to day than does Bill Gates, so x% of my income would be harder on me than on him, but it would also be fair and not send the message "If you are rich, you should be punished" and keep a small portion of our country from paying the great majority of our bills. And as my stepdad says, "If 10% is good enough for God, it is good enough for the government!"
And I would go to my own savings and assets (slim, but there), my folks, my husband's folks, my family, my church, and even take out a loan before I would expect the government to bail me out.
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