Democrats and Taxes

Overcoming the weakness Democrats have on the issue of taxation

December 19, 2007

Changing Parties: It's not always a bad thing when officials change parties.

Clean Coal: Those who oppose replacing old plants are just blocking environmental progress.

Confidentiality: My safe guards against revealing political secrets on NYC.

Conservatism: A look at real conservatives.

District Attorneys as Agents of Political Change: District Attorneys have an important role beyond just enforcing the law.

Global Warming: Global warming is a real problem needing real solutions.

How a Liberal Can Win in a Conservative Countryside: Some thoughts on new libertarian Democrat.

Liberal Cowboy: Why one liberal is proud to wear his cowboy hat.

Liberalism v. Conservatism: Neither ideology is desirable in it's pure form.

Libertarianism: A pratical look at libertarianism.

Non-Partisan as Liberal: Many organizations claim to be without partisan affiliation, but are they really?

Progressives: An Uneasy Relationship: Progressives need to do more to change insitutions and not individuals.

Radicalism: What does it mean to be a radical?

Ron Paul's Revolution: His libertarian ideas deserve consideration, as does the commitment of his supporters.

Self-Enrichment in Government: Just because people benefit from a policy doesn't mean they're corrupt.

Shovel the Cow Dung: Sometimes you just have to get a little dung on your shoes to be succesful.

What is a Watt?: People don't often under the cost of energy.

Why Ideology Based Parties are Bad for America: A short essay discussing the pitfalls of ideology and politics.

Democrats and Taxes

It strikes me that the greatest weakness of Democrats is the issue of taxation. Too many Democrats are unwilling or unable to admit that many people suffer from the impacts of high taxation. While undoubtedly much of that tax revenue is going for good causes, taxes hurt many people, and certainly not just the rich.

We all have limited income. We all work hard for the money that we earn. Unfortunately, in the scheme of paying for government, it’s not unusual for government at all levels to take a quarter or more of a person’s real wages to pay for the government’s purposes. Nobody doubts that government does many good things, but many are skeptical of some government spending.

In a democratic society it is the role of the citizen to have an active voice in government spending. Citizens should know where there money is going, and hold their leaders responsible when they believe their hard-earned dollars are being misspent or allocated for unjust purposes. Citizens also should complain and act when they believe they are being overtaxed or disproportionately taxed. These are all legitimate complaints of citizens and taxpayers across our country.

Democrats too often play down such concerns as being illegitimate Republican Party rhetoric. There are some Republicans that would indeed cut taxes irresponsibility in the name of cutting government or their ideological dislike of big government. However, there are also many taxpayers that are literally being taxed off their land, out of their homes, and out of their ability to obtain basic necessities. That’s why taxes are a legitimate issue that Democrats should be concerned with both when they are running for office and when they are elected.

When Democrats start taking the issue of taxation seriously, then they will be able to pick up more votes both in over-taxed rural and suburban areas. People who are concerned about taxes, will choose Democrats when they learn that they not only are taking actions to reduce taxes, but also provide for the rest of life’s necessities at a reasonable price, including energy and health care. Democrats can be consensus candidates, but only when they take taxes serious.