A Tax and Government: By the People, For the People, Still?
Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying that the government that governs least, governs best. Today, however, we seem to be headed in a completely different direction. We seem to think that the bigger the government the better the benefit and so more of the responsibilities of growth for the economy have been placed on the shoulders of our government.
Was this a conscious decision by the American public, or was this a subversive action on the part of our government? Is selling on eBay our last hope?
During the 1960s, when Franklin Roosevelt and the Congress of the United States implemented the “new deal” and unsuspecting citizenry welcomed this as a major step forward in the progress of the economic development of United States; many citizens saw this as a way to improve the standard of living for every individual. The “new deal” has in many ways were to accomplish its intended purpose, there are other areas, however, we are just the opposite has occurred. Today, more than ever, we have a tremendous reliance on “government welfare” and the public assistance programs that aid many of the nation’s poor. Instead, however off encouraging independence and productivity from our citizens, it has created a true dependence upon our government to provide life’s necessities. Instead of fostering growth and independence, it has created a third-generation welfare problem.
It has also generated a much larger federal government. In order to fund all the programs implemented during the “new deal” era, the government has imposed greater and greater taxation of the American public. In that entertain, when income tax was reinstated and became a way of life, the average and taxpayer paid 1% in tax; today, the average taxpayer pays almost 10% in income tax. The government now receives over $2 trillion in income tax, each year, and each year we watch as our government deficit grows; it continues to grow, because government continues to spend more than it receives.
Not all government spending is centered on welfare programs or public assistance programs.
Some of the excess spending on the part of our government does to fund foreign aid, the war in Iraq, and pet programs for many of our congressmen. However, we are reaching a point in our country when government spending and welfare programs exceed the working class’ ability to keep up. This is proven by the problems we’re now experiencing and anticipating with our Social Security system.
In addition to the massive spending on the part of our government in support of welfare programs, we have now legislated many of our free enterprise and private sector businesses to the point that it is impossible to truly generate economic growth from a small business perspective. The taxes levied on and paid by small businesses, in conjunction with the regulations imposed by government that create additional spending, have backed the small businessman into a corner.
Government spending now accounts for almost 58% of the entire economic income of this country; less than 100 years ago, it accounted for only 12% of the economic income. This massive growth in government spending as a means to support the countries income and economy means that the average taxpayer must work 5 1/2 months to support government and government spending. This is not why our forefathers created government; the smaller our government the more innovative and creative our private sector businesses can become.
In addition to the excess in spending, the more government grows, the more government controls.
So that, in addition to excessive taxes, we have excessive control. This country was made great because of the tremendous opportunity she offered the many immigrants who came to her shores. Now, thanks to the new deal and the welfare programs we don’t offer our immigrants and opportunity to work, we offer them a check. Private sector businesses can no longer find employees at the minimum wage level, because welfare is more profitable.
Bottom line
Once again, we must refer back to Thomas Jefferson’s words, “the government that governs least governs best”, and hope that eventually this philosophy will be realized.
