I read, this morning, that the bottom 50% of wage earners in the USA pay no taxes at all. It is no wonder that we have such discontent. We have raised, and are now raising, a whole generation of "citizens" that have no connection to that great nation that was built by our forebears. In my opinion, only those who substantially participate in government can feel ownership in it. By helping to fund the operation of our government even those of modest means can feel that they have a stake in the way government is run.
Just imagine a Senator, Congressman, Governor, or President who hears from a citizen comlaining about this or that. He looks in the tax roles and finds that this citizen pays no taxes and therefore has no stake in how the money is spent. He feels no need to respond.
Similarly, a citizen who pays no taxes is also not concerned about how much tax money is wasted. I've inteviewed many who indicate, "I don't care; it's not my money".
I have always said every citizen needs to participate in helping to fund government, even if it is only .01%. By so doing patriotism, citizen morale, and citizen participation in the political process will improve.
While I think we collectively pay too much in taxes, I believe each citizen should pay something.
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