Golly. This whole election has just got everybody all up in arms, doesn’t it?
My friend Andrea (Whatup Dre! I miss you!) and her husband, Matt, posted this article on their blog and asked their readers to respond. My response was getting longer and longer, so I decided to try and do it up right, and here’s what I’ve come up with. It’s entirely likely that I’ll go back and read it tomorrow and think it doesn’t flow very well or disagree with myself or wish that I’d worded something differently so as to make myself more clear, so if you read something you think is way off or contradictory or just ridiculous, please, ask me what I mean and let’s discuss it. Y’all know I’m not good with politics, but opinions have I aplenty. Here we go.
There are several things that bother me about this article.
First of all, he says that people are saying that the rich should be taxed because they are evil. I don’t think anyone has said that rich people are evil. I think they’ve just said that they should be taxed more heavily because they are making more money, which makes sense to me if we’re talking about taxing everyone at the same percentage. Then obviously, if you make more money, you pay more taxes.
But Ramsey seems to think that the people who subscribe to the idea of higher taxes for higher incomes are the evil ones. The problem with this is that vilifying the people you disagree with doesn’t make you any more correct in your point. We also can’t make saints out of everyone who makes over $250,000 just because we have one friend who has worked his butt off to get there. In reality, LOTS of people work their butts off every day and never make more than $40,000 (if that). Ever. We just don’t all have business gifts or inclination required to become self-made men like “Henry.”
Personally, I am very intrigued by the idea of doing away with income taxes altogether and just raising sales taxes. That way, the people who make a lot of money, who are buying more things, will pay higher taxes whereas the people who make very little money, who are only buying necessities, will pay less in taxes. AND nobody can complain about illegal immigrants getting paid under the table and not paying taxes at all. This seems fair to me. Everybody pays according to the lifestyle they lead.
And while we’re on the topic of lifestyles and taxes, I don’t think that the people making $70,000 a year are going to benefit directly from “Henry’s” tax money, nor do I believe they are asking for government assistance. If you make enough money to have a bass boat and fishing equipment, you’re probably not eligible anyway, regardless of your work ethic. It’ll go more toward helping the people who are making like $12,000, right?
Now, why people are only making $12,000 a year, I don’t know. I think that in most cases it has more to do with decisions they’ve made than with being dealt a bum hand in life, and I guess if we want to say, “They got themselves into it, and they should work hard to get themselves out if they want out,” that’s a perfectly valid statement. But it seems rather a cold-hearted response, doesn’t it?
It’s interesting that I read this article today after the Bible study we had last night. We’re in Ecclesiastes 5, where verses 8-10 say,
“If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.”
We talked last night about how we basically tend to either ignore poverty or put band-aids on it, but we haven’t found a way to eradicate it entirely. I think that some of our programs and legislation have helped, and I don’t think that we in America today are actively oppressing the poor. At least I want to believe that we’re treating people equally and not denying them justice or rights. But somehow, we’re allowing the poor to remain poor while the wealthy gain more wealth.
I’m not enough of a socialist to believe in taking money directly from the rich and putting it directly into the bank accounts of the poor. It is not right that a teenager should learn from her mother that she can drop out of school on her sixteenth birthday, not work, and live at home on welfare. I don’t think we should continue to allow that to happen. But I do think that the government could take some of that tax money and start programs with it to educate people and provide them with opportunities to dig themselves out of the hole they’ve gotten into. Teach them how to work for it, and hope that they realize the satisfaction that comes with doing a job well.
Allowing the poor to live as though they are still oppressed is just as bad as oppressing them. We need to walk people out of the cycles that keep them in poverty because perhaps they just weren’t as lucky as we were to be born into the middle or upper class. Perhaps no one has taught them the benefits of education and the (dare I say it?) pleasure of work. Or worst of all, perhaps they’ve never been told that they are valuable, and that they have something to offer the world. Even if the work is hard and some days we don’t think it’s worth it, WE are worth it. My gosh, if you don’t think that you’re worth what it costs to clothe and shelter you, that is just incredibly tragic.
I don’t presume to have an answer to the tax issue, but I know that doing something about it, trying something new, is better than doing nothing about it or continuing to try the things that haven’t worked for us so far.
And I really don’t presume to know anything about people’s personal financial difficulties, how they got there, or what’s the best way for them to get out, but I know that making them the bad guy doesn’t make me any better. And making bad guys out of people who are trying to help them doesn’t help anybody.
The fact is that we, all of us from the factory worker to the CFO, need Jesus to tell us what we’re worth and to teach us to live as though we believe it. If we did that, we’d all lead very different lives from the ones we’re living now, and I’m saying that more to myself than to any of you reading. We don’t need to reform our social programs so much as we just need Jesus. He’s the one that breaks the cycle of sin and death. He’s the only one that can do it and make it last. So, and I’m not saying this to sound defeatist or pessimistic, but in all seriousness, regardless of who wins the election and what kinds of taxes they place on us, God, help us, please.
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I dunno. A general sales tax might actually lead to a higher tax burden on the middle class because they use more of their income for purchases than the rich and they straight up purchase more than the poor.
Also, you’d have tax evasion problems. Especially with the internet as internet purchases aren’t really taxed up front.
Well of course the middle class purchases more than the lower class. That’s why it makes sense, that plan. But what is the upper class doing with their money if not spending it on either more stuff or more expensive stuff than the middle class? I don’t know. I clearly am no expert on the economy or even on money, period, which is why I’m just intrigued by the idea at this point. It could be a really terrible idea and I just don’t see it. Because I know nothing.
In my opinion, one great solution could be to increase tax incentives for charitable giving. That way, money goes straight to the causes (and people) instead of allowing the government to waste it. This wouldn’t solve everything, but it would help.
it’s a good point, DLF. unfortunately, the world we live in makes it necessary to consider the potential abuses of every system that’s in place. so even though i think you’re right about the increased incentives for charitable giving making a positive difference, i also think it would invite people to commit tax fraud in new ways, ie, make believe charities (The Human Fund, anyone?). and this line of thinking (how will the baddies in the world take advantage of “X”) also leads me to bethy’s point overall which is that we need Jesus. Jesus ‘08!!!
fern, I just read the article you linked. my previous comment was a visceral response to what you wrote. the guy that wrote the article is kind of a jerk. and not very articulate. In fact, he sounded kind of like a ranting lunatic. I may agree with him on some points below all the crazy, but I’m not even sure. I had trouble getting past “scratch your butt, and bass fish” (improper use of comma included).
I think this election has brought up a very sad point: that as Christians, we’re so ready to put on a “help the poor and be like Jesus” face until it means we have to part with our money. Growing up in the safety of suburbia, I thought all people on welfare were lazy and it wasn’t my job or my other upper-middle class friends job to support them. And, not to sound self-righteous now or put down suburbia, but things changed once I moved to NYC. Now that I speak with people on a weekly basis who get $800 a month from the goverment to live on-in NYC-my attitude has changed drastically. I guess I don’t understand why we feel so entitled to our money-isn’t it all God’s? And I don’t understand why people get so angry about supporting government funded programs that SHOULD be run by the church-but their church isn’t supporting any such programs. I work non-profit and do not make a ton of money-but I know my tax dollars are going to support a large community of people who never got the opportunities I got, who have horrible parents and who can’t escape the cycle of poverty. It’s really easy to sit back and judge when we’ve never met these people and never been in their situation. As Christians, I think we’re better than that.
Just a quick hello and thanks for leaving a comment on my site.
A few random thoughts…
I happen to make a good living and am one who believes it is okay for those who make more to pay more. Obama’s plan doesn’t bother me in principle. I don’t believe in trickle down economics… that is, free up money for the rich and they will invest it in their businesses and the economy and it will “trickle down” to help those in need.
If you tax the rich less, it just means there is more money to put into retirement, etc. A lot of it does not get spent and directly put back into the economy. When you tax corporations less, a lot of it just goes into the pocket of CEOs.
That said, there are often good reasons the rich are rich and you don’t want to beat up on these folks too much. They generally are pretty smart and have worked hard. MOST I know are wanting to help but they like to be in charge of how they help. Unfortunately, many still suffer from giving at a rate that is far less than 5-10%.
The question of how much more as a percentage the “rich” should have to pay is the question. Most of us will do what we can to work things to get into the next lower tax bracket if the %ile changes are too steep.
There are “luxury taxes” already on expensive goods. A national 1/2 to 1% tax wouldn’t be a bad idea. Incentives for charitable giving can be part of the plan. To me, the taxation system is not what is horribly broken… its the way in which we spend and distribute money.
I believe that many are “stuck” in poverty and want out. I am a big believer in incentives and not handouts. Programs are great but they have to encourage good personal decision making. I don’t think that is judgmental, racist , classist or elitist. Take everyone where they are right now and give them a chance to be empowered and make an effort.
I work harder in my job because there are benefits for me in place if I meet certain levels and goals.
Just my .02. I will try to take a cruise around your blog a bit more later.
Take care.
Mike