Class 3: Taxation with Representation

Class Handouts:
Election 2012 (3) Taxation

About this Class

How can we most fairly apportion the communal burden? Who should pay, and how much? And who decides where this money should go?

By Nochum Mangel

Rabbi Nochum Mangel directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Greater Dayton, Ohio.

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September 6, 2012

Town Meetings

As a young girl, my father used to take me from time-to-time, to our town meetings in Connecticut. It was fascinating to see how true democracy works.

The United States is a REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC, we are NOT in any sense of the word a DEMOCRACY.

That means that we vote for people who are supposed to represent our concerns; we have zero control over anything unless our representatives will do it for us.

Beverly Margolis-Kurtin
Hurst, Texas

September 5, 2012

How can we have fair/just taxation laws?

1, To have a voice in representative government a person must be present e.i vote
2. The representative candidates should espouse their views clearly so the people have a real choice
3. After election they should follow the directions of their community as stated at the ballot box.
4. If a minority votes then the majority will be forced to live by the rules of the minority as a consequence. If decisions are made by arbitration such as in the 4th method described there will be more equality.
5. Taxation takes many forms. Oppressive taxation initiates tax avoidance strategies by the wealthy which usually does not benefit the community/ other taxpayers equitably.
6. No taxation takes away the responsibility of the untaxed and shifts the burden to the taxed.
Anger and frustration results. Division occurs.
A couple of decades ago we had 50 % tax rate on the middle class and more on higher earners. Result: schemes to avoid taxes.

Anonymous
Torrance , CA
chabadsb.org

September 5, 2012

The Fairest Tax

Democratic representation by majority vote is only possible in a small community or group where everyone can be heard and their vote counted.

The idea of the Representative Republic system of Moshe and the Founders is that each community elects a representative and that small goup votes by majority. That is the House of representatives.

This system is completely broken by having parties. Two opinions are not representative. (especialy where Jews are concerned. One Jew by themselves can have three opinions) Two party system is a tyranny.

As far as taxes go, all confiscation of property, be it income, wages, wealth, estate, savings, capital gains etc is theft of property. See "The Society Project Org" for the Fairest Tax.

Dr. Society
Park Ridge, NJ

September 3, 2012

Taxes

I actually like the idea of the 50/50 tax split. That is an idea I have not pondered before.

I think most government funded projects are certainly NOT projects that I would vote to fund - like terrorists controlled Hamas. We have earmarks in all sorts of areas that could be dissolved to make the budget smaller. In the last 4 years, we have not even had a budget to keep tax payer dollars spent with good stewardship. Our tax dollars go to the IRS and "We the People" get very little say-so about where they are spent. I would say that is true whether you are democrat or republican.
I think it is time to find a fiscally responsible budget that does not spend more that what it brings in. As the middle class continues to diminish and unemployment is continuing to soar, we need a growth of small businesses...many of which have gone out of business in the last 4 years. "Big Government" is not the answer. Smaller local communities should decide what they would like to have and pay for.

Anonymous
Oviedo, Fl

September 2, 2012

Feh

First, Communism has failed and will always failed. Read "Animal Farm" to see why.

As for taxation with representation, I don't know about that because living in the part of Texas I live in I HAVE NO REPRESENTATION WHATSOEVER whether in Austin, TX or Washington, D.C.

Not being a person of wealth, I am of zero importance to the people who supposedly were elected to represent me, but since both Senators are Taxpublicants and my House guy is a Taxpublicant and my local guy in Austin is a Taxpublicant...I have NO REPRESENTATION AT ALL.

The concept of America as a Democratic Republic (we are NOT a democracy) is failing miserably thanks to the SCOTUS decision that corporations are people.

Being an unrepentant Progressive Liberal Democrat, as I feel all Jews with a conscious should be, my first, second and last concern is for what the United States is: Is it going to continue to kick anyone who is down or is going to take the Constitution seriously?

I'll be dead before it happens.

Beverly Margolis-Kurtin
Hurst, Tx

September 2, 2012

very simple solution

how many government positions had been created before the estate tax was implemented in the first place, then remove those positions and services since that point in history.

OR keep paying them which will never end end only increase in time...just like before.

Eventually, the Government will be the only one that is protected and Communism will eventually set in and grow as history has shown just as Federal Government is currently doing.

You said it, they can compel you to do whatever they want which means the Federal Government can compel the smaller towns and cities into bankruptcy which ALSO may be a reason for the cities shortfall to begin with and not really the cities fault at all.

EXAMPLE: If the State or the Federal Government compels Police Officers special training, that expands the budget although unwilling of the local residents OR the majority of the locals. It will NEVER end.

The community mostly has no control of the costs once mandated, compelled or written law.

john smith
fort lauderdale, FL