The Conservative Son

This is a letter I wrote to the local newspaper a couple of years ago concerning out state lottery. I was recently perusing it and decided I'd like to add it here.

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So, you think you’ve heard the last word on the lottery. I only wish it were so. I hear it every time I listen to radio or pick up the newspaper.

I’ll not hide my disgust over Tennessee finally succumbing to the “quick buck” crowd and amending our Constitution, allowing the lottery camel to not only get his nose in the tent, but to bring in his whole big, fat hump! (I’m sure you’ve heard the analogy.) I believe that gambling is a sin and I’ll be happy to tell anyone who asks me, I think exactly that. I’ve fussed and fumed and campaigned against allowing the beast in, but I, along with the apparent minority of Tennesseans who saw the monster for what it is, lost our battle to follow the wisdom and morality our legislature has shown for more than a century.

As for those who said, “It’s for the children,” the only thing that’s
holding them down, considering how full of hot air they are, must be their big feet. If they are so concerned about “the children,” then why haven’t they been donating that $20, $50 or more a month that they will spend on the lottery, to the schools for all these years to pay for books, computers, improved infrastructure or even raises for teachers. If they would be truthful about it, they are less concerned about “the children,” than the prospect, albeit a slim one, of becoming an instant millionaire. The intellectual dishonesty of our state legislators and community and educational leaders is, at best, nauseating and, at worst, sinful. One might argue whether or not gambling is a sin, but I guarantee you it’s a sin to give more money to politicians .

Still, there is more to this little varmint than most will admit. The truth is, it’s really all about an income tax.

You say, “How in the world do you figure that?” Well, lets put on our
little thinking caps for a minute and imagine this scenario: The first lottery winner receives, let’s say, ten million dollars. Assuming he takes it in a lump sum, he’ll pay a couple million social security taxes, about the same federal taxes and that would leave him a cool six million. Not a bad little sum. The only taxes he has left to pay are sales taxes on that new Hummer he’s finally got the bucks for.

Think a little further: what if he decides to do all of his spending in a
state, like Georgia, where the sales tax is half ours? Or even worse, he
pulls up stakes and moves there. What if he’s not a Tennessee resident in the first place, and takes all of his left-overs to California, New York or wherever he lives, and there pays another two million or so in state income tax. (That’s part of the twisted irony of this whole lottery business. Some hot shot wins a hundred million dollars, but, by the time the feds and the state gets through taxing him, he takes home half or less. Granted, fifty million is still a lot of cash, but it would really frost me to know the government got fifty million of my hard “won” cash!) Now, when this high-roller leaves our state without us getting a nickel back, as all other lottery states do, can’t you just hear our legislators and governor whining that it’s not right for other states to get the money that Tennessee would’ve gotten if only we had an income tax? (If I’ve thought of it, you know they have.)

Can’t you just hear them now: “It would only be a small tax on the
lottery winners. All we need is a constitutional amendment allowing us, your trusted Representatives and your honest governor, to pass this teeny-weeny income tax...for the children.” Then let the games begin! It’s bad enough that we are taxed on everything we spend or eat or drive, walk on, in or around, but when they get there mitts on our paychecks where they can take it before we even see it...sheesh! (Remember, Dr. Frankenstein thought his creation beautiful until he gave it life and it killed everyone he loved.)

You can say I’m going off the deep end, but history will bear me out. Our original U.S. Constitution forbade an income tax, but fast-talking politicians, complaining about rich robber barons, convinced our
slow-thinking citizenry to accept the sixteenth amendment allowing a, reportedly, small income tax on only the richest of Americans. They argued that these evil rich could afford it and it was time to spread the wealth around. I’m sure they must have told their constituents, “It’s for the children.” The rest is history.

If you’re in doubt, just take another look at your paycheck and take a
serious listen to these politicians who can always give themselves raises and yet, can’t balance the state check book. These are the same guys who tell you the lottery is “for the children.” Well, it may be for their children, but not for mine.

Labels: children, gambling, government, lottery, sin, taxes, Tennessee

I recently heard Nancy Pelosi (yech!) commenting on her view of the "Cap and Tax" bill. She said that it is "...a bill to honor our moral responsibility to protect God's beautiful creation by preserving the planet."

For a second there, she scared me. At first I thought she was referring to unborn babies.

Labels: abortion, God, Nancy Pelosi, nature, taxes

Recently, I wrote this letter to my local newspaper. They've been kind enough, or crazy enough, to print every letter I've written "To the Editor" over the past few years. They didn't print this one, though. I realized, after I'd mailed the letter, that since I'm a county resident, they would prefer to print only letters from city residents.

It's just as well. If they had printed this one, I'm sure the "Republicans" in my county would have banished me, for sure. Although, after their support for a totally unneeded tax hike, I probably wouldn't have minded.

By the way, the tax was defeated by a two-to-one margin. Hallelujah!

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So, here we go again. Sunquist tried his best to get a state income tax, Bredesen gave us the lottery tax and the legislature has tripled the cigarette tax. (Yet, strangely enough, they’ve made it almost impossible to light up in our fair state.) We even get legal liquor tax now. Yet, City Hall has decided that Athens is not paying enough taxes. And guess what! Oh, yeah, you got it. “It’s for the kids”! Sheesh! If the federal, state, county or city government comes up with one more tax “for the kids,” I won’t be able to afford to feed mine!

They tax everything from driving, to owning land, to buying a coke, to playing air hockey to buying a stick of gum. (Is oxygen taxed yet?) Still, they raise taxes every time we turn around and it’s all “for the kids”!

Who can say “no” to the “kids”? What sort of beast would tell the “kids” that we don’t have the money or aren’t willing to pay the money for their education? Certainly, anyone who is unwilling to make the small sacrifice of a silly, little half a percent sales tax must be a heartless cad. It’s only a little half a percent, isn’t it? Well, isn’t it?

The kids need pencils and paper and books and notebooks and squares and compasses and a myriad of other stuff. Someone has to pay for it. Sure, the parents buy lots of this stuff right out of pocket and also have raffles and bake sales along with other creative fund raising projects. Recently, I even had one little girl just walk up to me and flat out ask me for a donation for her school. At least she wasn’t trying to sale me some candle or discount card I really didn’t want or need. Still, It’s not enough.

From the band wagon we hear local politicians, Republican and Democrat, at last, shoulder-to-shoulder, playing in harmony a familiar tune, promising us that the school system needs, desperately needs this sales tax. After all, it’s just a silly half a percent. Well, I guess the Democrat and Republican politicians have found something they can agree on: Stick it to the consumer.

I’m certainly no mathematician, but it doesn’t take an Einstein to understand that there are only one hundred percents in one hundred percent. Today, one hundred dollars of groceries costs me one hundred and nine dollars. Now, that’s after Uncle Sam already has taken thirty plus percent of my income before I ever see it. (Oh, I’m sure Teddy Kennedy and "Little Jimmy" Duncan are spending it wisely though...not!) How many “percents” are left to take?

Now, fifty cents to a man making six figures a year isn’t much, though he, understandably, wants to keep his hard earned cash too. Yet, hit a poor man just a few times like that and you’re soon taking food out of his “kids” mouths.

You know, if you follow the politicians line of reasoning here, you’ll realize that they aren’t wanting to raise the sales tax enough. Why raise it a pitiful half a percent? Imagine how much money Athens could put in its coffers if the sales tax were fifty percent! Wow! Just think of it! Every car, t.v., computer and pound of ground round sold in Athens would gross the city fifty cents on the dollar. Of course, that’s only if anyone were stupid enough to buy anything ever again in the "Friendly City."

Now, I’m not an anarchist and I understand that we need government to pave our roads and police our streets and even, occasionally, teach our children the “Three R’s.” We must pay taxes to fund these worthwhile projects. Yet, taxes, like government, should be kept to a minimum.

If these R.I.N.O. (Republican In Name Only) Republicans really wanted to get money for the schools, they would try some good, old fashioned Reaganomics. Cut taxes! Yes, I said, “cut taxes!” Make Athens a haven from sales tax oppression.

Imagine if we lowered our sales tax to eight or seven or, even, six percent? People would drive for miles for the savings. Our retail stores would be swamped. Even more, industries would break their necks to build plants here. One or two percent to a corporation can result over a short time into millions in savings. Imagine the jobs coming to Athens and McMinn County! Are these RINO’s going to say that Reagan was wrong?

A final thought to those who vote for the tax rate hike. For those who trust politicians to keep their word and spend this money wisely and exactly as promised. For those who think they won’t see this same, sad scenario again within five years. I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you. Best of all, the sales tax is only, hmmmmm, five percent? Besides, It’s for my kid.

Labels: Democrat, education, R.I.N.O., Republican, Ronald Reagan, taxes