Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Year Resolutions for the Federal Government

Government Resolutions for the New Year:  Flatten taxes and spread them out among more taxpayers, simplify government regulations, and relinquish every extra-constitutional responsibility back to the states

Job 1 should be to simplify the tax code

No more favored groups or exemptions for any person, business, or corporation.


The fact that 46.7 million earners pay no income tax creates moral hazard - incentives for perverse behavior: Free-riding people have scant incentive to restrain the growth of government they are not paying for with income taxes.(George Will)
The same goes for business and corporations who escape taxation.  Our tax code encourages people to hide their money instead of investing it in the marketplace.  It chases money overseas in search of more fertile markets.  It favors industries like homebuilding and mortgage lending over other productive activities.  This creates market inefficiencies and bubbles.  Tear it all down and let the capital flow to the projects proved worthy on the merits of the free marketplace.

The Crushing Weight of the Federal Code

The next step would be to burn down the warehouses full of the hopelessly impenetrable and exemption-riddled federal code. You can go explore it for yourself Here.  It's searchable!  The word 'feces' returns 91 hits, "candle" returns 120.  Yikes!  "Saudi" is mentioned in the federal code 119 times, and not once related to terrorism or spreading virulent hatred disguised as religion...

The federal code is an abomination.  Burn it down to the constitutional foundation!  It is a mockery of the law and a standing, stinking violation of the very concept of the rule of law.

Restore the 9th and 10th Amendments

The federal government should turn everything back to the states that is not mentioned in the constitution.

The states should then restore the sovereignty of the individual by relinquishing those tasks better left to free men and women.

To see where this rant comes from, go read Toqueville's "Democracy in America," Part 1, Chapter 4:  The Principle of the Sovereignty of the People in America, and Chapter 8: Aspects of the Federal Constitution.

16 comments:

Always On Watch said...

Off topic....

New year, new blog template!

Always On Watch said...

The federal government should turn everything back to the states that is not mentioned in the constitution.

Should! But it won't happen. The states have grown parasitic in that they rely on funds from the federal government. In fact, most large school systems cannot run certain programs without federal dollars. **sigh**

Anonymous said...

I like the new look.
I completely agree with your list.

Rational Nation USA said...

Good luck with that my friend. We are going to need lots of luck in the coming year.

Silverfiddle said...

Luck and prayer, Comrades...

We have the short term momentum, but the progressive state has the big mo of over 100 years. It will not be easy.

I know, I'm dreaming, but I figured I'd put it out there.

AOW, you hit a point Trestin made in his blog post yesterday, My 2011 Predictions.

It's a scary read (do you write for Glenn Beck, Trestin?), but I think entirely plausible.

He predicts the federal government will quash all states rights talk by bailing many of them out.

Always On Watch said...

Silverfiddle,
I did read Trestin's post yesterday. But I already had reached my own conclusions about how unwilling the federal government is going to be about relinquishing any of its power.

Christopher - Conservative Perspective said...

I cannot disagree here Silver and love the new look @ Western Hero.

Silverfiddle said...

Thanks everyone for the complements on redecorating the Rocky Mountain hideout. I'm hoping the background doesn't load too slow...

WomanHonorThyself said...

great resolutions Silver~1 HAPPY NEW YEAR MY FRIEND!!..xxoo

Mike aka Proof said...

Congress has two primary methods of raising money to keep themselves in power. One is to threaten punitive taxes on industries, of which exceptions could be carved out for friends and contributors.
The other is to threaten punitive regulations on industries, of which exceptions could be carved out for friends and contributors.

A flat or reformed tax would limit their coercive abilities and jeopardize their power.

I think we need to recycle more of the players in 2012 if we want to see this happen.

Jersey McJones said...

It always amazes me how different people can look at the same situation and see different things. When I see the rich paying a disproportionate share of the taxes, I see that they make a disprportionate percentage of the income. You guys see them being taxed too much - even though their rates - and especially their effective rates - are historically low.

You guys say the poor pay no income taxes, yet I see the government borrowing billions of dollars from them every year with no interest. You guys see the poor paying a disproportionatelt low percent of the taxes, I see them making a disproportionately low percent of the income.

Can you guys at least see that all these perspectives - including mine - have at least some truth to them?

JMJ

Silverfiddle said...

Jersey, you need to drop your preconceived notions at the door.

The tax code that I am criticizing is one bought and paid for by the rich and well-connected.

Yes, I believe everyone should pay something, but the biggest problem is the rich bribing their way out of it.

Anonymous said...

Wow....a blog from Colorado and the mountains. And a Conservative to boot. I grew up in Gunnison, though I am stuck in Indiana now......

I love the blog, and have started reading your writting, and love it too. Going to blogmark your blog on my blog and I hope that your Christmas and New Years has been great.

Karen K said...

I'm totally with you, Silverfiddle. A shame that our gummint probably won't be...

Lisa said...

Jersey we should be thanking the rich. Who's going to pick up the slack when they shelter their money even more thanks to more government theft?
The rich paying more will only give government more money to waste.

Anyway SF we can always dream big.It's moer positive than the nightmare we have been living in the last 2 years.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

JMJ I agree with you on the poor paying taxes. While they may not pay income tax they are paying plenty in other taxes especially inflation. The truth is every group is overtaxed in some way, that is why we need to cut spending.