Why a minimum wage increase is a lump of coal for the people
Tis' the season and the new Congress is promising we the people an increase in the minimum wage as our present this year. Forgive me, if I find little comfort and joy in it. Frankly, its worse than a lump of coal for we the people. Why, you might be curious to know.
First, and foremost, it violates a fundamental principal of a real democracy - it applies only to a portion of our population and therefore, is unequal. In this case those of us who make the least money from hourly wages. On the surface it sounds good, but it repeats the mistake we often make - it confounds our economic system with our government system. And historical evidence demonstrates that the way that works in actual practice means that our government will give some economic benefit to the other economic subdivisions of we the people. Further subdividing those of us who are supposed to be equals under a democratic governing system. It's simply wrong in principal. We the people should be equals under the governments' laws and these are different than the economic system's laws!
Secondly, it is literally "tax and spend" by all levels of government! It increases the wages the economically impoverished part of we the people pay state federal, state, and local income taxes upon. It increases revenue to all levels of government - it gives the government more money to spend on things like the war in Iraq. And it comes from the poorest part of we the people who currently have the least influence on how it is spent. It also increases revenues for Social Security and Medicare from both the employees and employers.
If you do the math you'll find that government coffers are the biggest winners on the backs of the poorest part of we the people.
But whoa! Before you dismiss me as the latest Grinch or Scrooge I hope you'll please hear me out. Is there an alternative that treats we the people equally?
What if we the people exempted the first $50,000 of income from any source from federal income taxes and taxed all income above $50,000 at a 20% level. Period - no gimmicks - no deductions - no tax credits - no differentiation between the economic classes of we the people.
Bill Gates, Mark Sherman, and every other citizen pays 20% on every dollar of income above $50,000 - regardless of how big a home mortgage they have, how many children they have, how much energy they save, how many jobs we provide, how many lawyers and accountants we can hire, etc. This exemption applies equally to every member of we the people - not just the one's with economic resources and political influence.
Further, we the people should end the exemption of any income from Social Security and Medicare taxes. Every member of we the people and their employers should pay these taxes on every dollar of income not just the economic subdivision of us who earn less than some arbitrary number.
Equal treatment of we the people under the laws of our government - now that would be a real Christmas present!
First, and foremost, it violates a fundamental principal of a real democracy - it applies only to a portion of our population and therefore, is unequal. In this case those of us who make the least money from hourly wages. On the surface it sounds good, but it repeats the mistake we often make - it confounds our economic system with our government system. And historical evidence demonstrates that the way that works in actual practice means that our government will give some economic benefit to the other economic subdivisions of we the people. Further subdividing those of us who are supposed to be equals under a democratic governing system. It's simply wrong in principal. We the people should be equals under the governments' laws and these are different than the economic system's laws!
Secondly, it is literally "tax and spend" by all levels of government! It increases the wages the economically impoverished part of we the people pay state federal, state, and local income taxes upon. It increases revenue to all levels of government - it gives the government more money to spend on things like the war in Iraq. And it comes from the poorest part of we the people who currently have the least influence on how it is spent. It also increases revenues for Social Security and Medicare from both the employees and employers.
If you do the math you'll find that government coffers are the biggest winners on the backs of the poorest part of we the people.
But whoa! Before you dismiss me as the latest Grinch or Scrooge I hope you'll please hear me out. Is there an alternative that treats we the people equally?
What if we the people exempted the first $50,000 of income from any source from federal income taxes and taxed all income above $50,000 at a 20% level. Period - no gimmicks - no deductions - no tax credits - no differentiation between the economic classes of we the people.
Bill Gates, Mark Sherman, and every other citizen pays 20% on every dollar of income above $50,000 - regardless of how big a home mortgage they have, how many children they have, how much energy they save, how many jobs we provide, how many lawyers and accountants we can hire, etc. This exemption applies equally to every member of we the people - not just the one's with economic resources and political influence.
Further, we the people should end the exemption of any income from Social Security and Medicare taxes. Every member of we the people and their employers should pay these taxes on every dollar of income not just the economic subdivision of us who earn less than some arbitrary number.
Equal treatment of we the people under the laws of our government - now that would be a real Christmas present!
posted by Mark Sherman at 4:13 AM
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