1. Series "Letters from Left to Right": Dear Tim

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Commentary: I often go into FB political chat-rooms looking for people who I see are sincere in their beliefs but, angry or confused. I start corresponding with them in a sincere effort to establish a reasoned dialog without the vitriol and usual name calling that has become the norm in such places. I have collected a series of those dialogs and want to share them, from time to time on this blog. I call them; "Letters from Left to Right". I hope you enjoy them. Thanks


Timothy W.
How much did you pay in taxes Bob Wagner?
Why do 45% of Americans get to be called taxpayers when they pay no taxes?
And if you are lucky enough to have a job,taxes are taken out (loaned to the gov'mt).
When you file on 4/15 or 18, you get some of it back, unless you have a ton of deductions then you can possibly get it all back or unless you fall in the alternate min tax then you get it all back.
So I ask...why should someone that already pays the bulk of the taxes so the thieves in Washington squander away have to pay more?
I am not rich nor do I fall in that category but I did not get any back in fact had to pay a grand more.
I vote for the Fair Tax and or at least everyone pays a percentage with no deductions.
But that will never happen because the thieves would lose their power!


Dear Tim Three things about money.

One
No one likes paying taxes. I don't, but, the reality is the government of, the people, through "our elected" government—prints the money, distributes the money, and backs the money with the full faith and credit of the Nation. The idea that somehow money is "your money or my money" is a false premise—it is a simplistic campaign slogan of the Right— that is appealing and raises a lot of emotion but, falls apart under scrutiny. Taxes are like a bill that the government sends you for all the services they provide. Streets roads, flood control, national defense, health care, the list is endless.

So unless you print, distribute and back US currency with "your" full faith and credit you like all of us are the "borrowers" of said money. By the way if you are somehow printing your own money, its illegal.

Two
The government takes the money back briefly on "tax day" to pay for all the things that "we elect our government" to do for us. The government in turn pays out all the money it takes in and recirculates the money. It does not hoard the money. It recirculates it. No one is stealing "your" money. Money is meant to circulate—like blood it keeps the economy alive.

Three
DISTRIBUTION: The real problem is the distribution and circulation of money. The treasury gives the money it prints to private bankers that control "the FED" some times at zero percent interest. Those bankers are the real thieves, they skim off the top by charging interest to others. Sometimes as much as thirty percent, on money they have been given at little or no charge. And they are stingy about who they loan it to, so the government regulates them—or did until the Republican right—deregulated them—it took ten years for the banking system out of control to bankrupt this country.
CIRCULATION:
As I said the purpose of money is to circulate it so every body gets to use it to promote the "general welfare". What happens is some people are greedy and will go to any means to accumulate as much money as they can, which is not a problem if they recirculate it, but, many don't they hoard it and refuse to recirculate their money because it gives them power and control. They control the political messages we hear and see they control "our" representatives with bribery— I'm sorry "campaign contributions". They take everything and pay nothing back.

FINALLY:
You are right about the tax code being unfair—which is—but not for the reasons you presume. Its unfair because although the rich are the greatest beneficiaries of the freedoms this nation has provided them. They pay nothing towards its support. Like a deadbeat dads. 400 families control 80% of the money in this country. Now that is not fair, and they are so good at controlling the message—that they have you supporting their agenda. They have the average American fighting over the twenty percent they haven't stolen from us.

I sincerely hope that I don't come across as condescending I don't mean to, I was taken in by them for awhile myself, I was busy raising a family and was not paying attention to the politics of the country for many years, when I did the "Right" were deeply entrenched and almost impossible to eradicate. If you're going to be pissed like I am you may as well know who's to blame. "It helps to all be firing in the same direction" as my old DI would say.

Sincerely Michael