Tax Day

By Zac Nickerson

Tax Day (April 15^th) is quickly approaching and many Americans are feeling a sense of dread. This feeling is not unfounded, in that there is something inherently American, yea human, about wanting to keep what you earn and not give a portion of it away under threat of fine or imprisonment. Yet sadly, the government needs money to protect us, and taxes are the one collective even libertarians sometimes agree on to fund the government.  But is the idea of taxation the source of dread? Or is it rather the extent of our current tax code that causes such misgivings among the people?

If you read Megan Stiles’ post you know that Tax Freedom Day this year is April 24^th. This is the day that, if every working American gave every penny of their earnings to the government, we would have to work until to foot the tax bill and ‘earn’ our freedom.

This is a helpful way to bring into perspective the extent and overbearing nature of our current tax system. Collectively, Americans have to give up four months of their earnings this year to fund the government. Though taxation is a necessary evil for our national defense, we have far surpassed a reasonable threshold and the intent of the Founders. This is largely due to the overreaching and ever expanding federal government and the obvious cost that it requires.

In the Presidents proposed budget for 2015, he had allotted only 16% of total spending to Military while social programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Healthcare made up 60%. With our taxes making up 85% of the ‘income’ for that budget (the remaining 15% being borrowed against our own faith and credit) it becomes obvious why tax day represents such dread to so many Americans. Our ever growing tax rate is not being spent where it should, to keep us safe and run the government; it is being redirected and allocated to Programs not authorized by the Constitution.

So every year tax day is a reminder to taxpaying Americans that they are spending less and less money on their own Pursuit of Happiness and being forcefully made to fund that of others. Maybe the statists wouldn’t whine so much about raising the minimum wage if workers were allowed to keep more of their hard earned money to begin with? But then of course they would have less opportunity to control us.

So this Tax Day, take the opportunity to strike up the conversation of tax code reform with your fellow despairing taxpayers. And start demanding your representatives cut taxes and spending at every chance they get.