An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Turn Off The Spigot!
Government Dependency Grows As “Non-paying” Taxpayers Hits Record Level
The Tax Foundation recently released its annual report on the number of tax returns filed that have no tax liability, and the study shows a record number of “nonpayers” in 2008. Taxpayers become “non-payers” when credits and deductions wipe out any income tax they owe.
Politicians have so totally screwed up the tax system, the only way to “fix it” will be to totally scrap the entire thing. Many advocate for Fair Tax. While I don’t disagree that if we have to have a tax system on a federal level, which I honestly question quite often, it should be fair. I’m also of the mind it should be flat. Example, no matter what your income, 10%. Companies, individuals, rich, poor, billionaires, welfare queens…… doesn’t matter. 10%.
The amount of income that a family can earn and still be non-payers is also alarming. In 2010, a family of four can earn up to $51,000 and still pay no income taxes.
$51K? Seriously? That’s a nice income, and there are people who don’t pay diddly?
Not only do a record number of taxpayer’s pay no taxes, but many of them actually receive cash payments through the tax code because of refundable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit. According to the Tax Foundation, cash payments from these two credits alone totaled over $70 billion.
Now, while it’s always nice to get a check in the mail, shouldn’t you actually DO something to earn it, other than make babies? Granted, kids are expensive, but they can be raised without all the ‘must have’ items, like I-Pods, cell phones, $200 butt ugly sneakers, etc.
President Obama’s policies will add to the numbers of non-payers and the amount of income redistributed because he wants to expand and add even more refundable credits.
Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense, doesn’t it. Washington is spending like the proverbial drunken sailors after a year at sea, and yet, they want to take in less taxpayer dollars to pay for it. Oh yeah. Lot of economic logic there. 
Are these people so clueless, they can’t even balance a checkbook? Without deposits, you can’t write the check. Oh, wait a minute, this IS the excessively liberal>progressive>socialist>communist powers that be in D.C. Silly me!
The growing dependency on government and shrinking number of taxpayers is troubling and will lead to an even faster rise in unsustainable government spending unless the trend is reversed. Congress should start by ceasing the expansion of refundable tax credits. It should then reform entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare before baby-boomers start collecting benefits from them and dependency on government explodes even further. If Congress starts soon perhaps it won’t be too late to stop the impending fiscal implosion.
How about we faze out all those damn ‘entitlement programs’? NO one is entitled to dick! Do you job, earn your paycheck, put as much as possible in some sort of savings, decide what is more important, that 64″ flat screen TV, or your future, and learn to live within your means! Do I want old folks to go hungry? Of course not. Do I believe the taxpayers should provide for anyone, including me, an income just because they had the misfortune to live much longer than was ever intended? Oh HELL no! Once upon a time, families would band together, look after their elderly parents, as their parents had looked after them when they were younger. That whole “Honor thy father and thy mother” was taken real serious for hundreds of generations. Well, until the “progressives” came to power.
Exodus 20:12 Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Ok, I can hear it now….”But some parents aren’t such model citizens, and shouldn’t be honored.” Yes, I know. Some people shouldn’t breed, period. Those types sure as hell shouldn’t be supported by taxpayer dollars either! I can think of a few rather creative ways to deal with parents who abuse their children. Supporting them in their old age is NOT one of them!
We can no longer afford all these social programs at the taxpayers expense. We just can’t. It’s past time to re-evaluate how the the whole system works. It’s WAY past time to repeal the 16th Amendment!
My son-in-law made over 60,000 nad did not pay any income taxes. The advantage comes from having 4 children.
Sharing the ‘wealth’, eh?
If 10 percent is good enough for Jesus, it ought to be enough for Uncle Sam Barack.
I always thought so, Peter.