TAXES: Don't forget whose money it is

The socialist/progressive argument (war) against rich people has been the same for more than a hundred years. Tax The Rich and that will take care of everything. According to the Tax Foundation, the Tariff Act of Oct. 3, 1913, established the following tax rates: 1 percent - $0 to $20,000, 2 percent - $20,000 to $50,000, 3 percent - $50,000 to $75,000, 4 percent - $75,000 to $100,000, 5 percent $100,00 to $250,000, 6 percent $250,000 to $500,000 and 7 percent $500,000 and above. That tax law was also for 1914 and 1915. The Revenue Act of 1916 increased the tax brackets from 7 to 14, which escalated the rates to 15 percent for $2,000,000 and more for those nasty rich people. In 1917 the brackets increased to 21 with the 15 percent rate raised to 67 percent. That, however, wasn't enough.

By 1932 it was 63 percent for those earning more than only half that at $1,000,000 or more. The nasty little secret in these tax laws is that the lowest rate doubled from 1 percent to 2 percent for the under $20,000 earners. That would be double the rate to those of you who are mathematically challenged.

By 1932 it was double that to 4 percent for those making under $4,000. That seems like a quadruple increase from 1913 except the bracket was reduced by more than 75 percent! The most tax money comes from the average working taxpayer for a very simple reason: there are MORE of us to take money from! The government gets away with nickel-and-diming us to death, because the money is taken directly from our paychecks so we never get to see it. If everyone had to write a check for their income taxes like a regular utility bill, there might be more pressure put on our lawmakers. Why do you think we all complain about property taxes and our utility bills? It's because we have to write that check every month or six, when they are due.

It is a ridiculous argument to believe that the country's financial crisis or the cost of the government grist mill will be solved by taxing rich people. There isn't enough money there. EVERYONE gets their taxes increased when new tax laws are written because politicians need lots of money with which to play. The more money the government has, the more power it imposes on its citizens. When Tip O'Neil said "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon we are talking real money," he wasn't kidding. What he was talking about was OUR billions!

PAUL CIRUSO

Athol