ZombyWoof wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:35:33 -0400, "Michael Johnson, PE"
> > wrote:
> <snip>
>
>>One day people will put all this together and the politicians will be
>>held accountable at the ballot box. It is happening gradually right
>>now. Why do you think the Republicans have retained the House, Senate
>>and more often than not the Presidency? The biggest reason is they are
>>the only party that is willing to cut taxes. Even they aren't doing it
>>enough to suit most people. It is happening here where I live at the
>>local level. People can't understand why there property taxes are sky
>>rocketing when inflation isn't. The expenses of the local government
>>aren't increasing 20% a year so why are their local taxes. The average
>>person is starting to see what is being done to them from a tax
>>standpoint. It may take a few more election cycles but I believe there
>>will be a major shift in the public's attitude toward how they are taxed.
>>
>>Well, I feel better after that rant.
>>
>
> Well I've been saying that for years, but it still hasn't happened.
> The average American has absolutely no idea how much their tax bite
> really is. Especially when they hide it under the names of user fees,
> licenses and so forth. I sat down and added it all up once and about
> ****.

It is one good, articulate presidential candidate away from happening,
IMO. A good old fashioned Ross Perot type pie-chart speech to a
nationwide audience would do the trick. Maybe take one of the debates
and give each candidate a 1/2 hour uninterupted time block.

> I retired from the Military ten years ago with a nice "little" monthly
> stipend for life. It wasn't anywhere near enough to live on or raise
> a young family so of course second career here I come. Currently I
> pay my entire monthly Military Retirement Check (funded by taxes) back
> in payroll taxes every bi-weekly pay period. Sort of like giving
> Burger King a rebate for working for them every year. It sucks to
> lose 2 times what I draw annually in retirement benefits funded by
> taxes back in taxes.

If you want to see how the Bush's tax policies have effected your tax
rates check out this link: http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxfreedomday/
It graphs Tax Freedom Day for the last 25 years and shows what that day
was over the last 100+ years. Look further down the page and see the
pie chart that compares federal/state/local taxes to other typical
expenses. Taxes took 107 days of income and household and household
operations (i.e. mortage, utilities, repairs etc.) only took 65 days of
income! On average government takes 65% more money than the average
person spends on owning and maintaining a house every year. Plus, I
would wager they don't calculate all the user fees and micellaneous
hidden taxes in their figures.