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Why I Love Taxes 8

This is my first post on The Urban Country. Jim has his way with words and ladies and I will do my best to be as fluent and exciting as him in my first guest contribution.

I recently read an article on TNR (The New Republic) which linked me to this news article on ABC News. A couple of quotes in the article hit a nerve and I just had to talk about this.

Uncle Sam The gist of the story is: rich people that are making over $250K in the States are looking for ways to cut income down to $249,999.99 so that Obama’s new tax laws don’t hit them.

A financial advisor tries to knock some common sense into readers by explaining that higher taxes are only charged on amounts over $250K, but more quotes keep water-falling from rich people that are just dying to decrease their incomes.

Two quotes in this article make me appreciate Canada and the taxes we pay here:

Quote #1

“We are going to try to figure out how to make our income $249,999.00,” she said. “We have to find a way out where we can make just what we need to just under the line so we can benefit from Obama’s tax plan,” she added. “Why kill yourself working if you’re going to give it all away to people who aren’t working as hard?”

“Why kill yourself working if you’re going to give it all away to people who aren’t working as hard?“! This quote pertains to the fact that the new taxes will pay for Obama’s healthcare reform. This sentence makes me realize how much I love Canada. We get free universal health care here and we pay progressive taxes just like the USA. I am perfectly happy paying higher taxes to pay for the health of a stranger on the street, knowing that tomorrow that stranger will pay for my health.

Quote #2

“The motivation for a lot of people like me — dentists, entrepreneurs, lawyers — is that the more you work the more money you make,” said Poczatek. “But if I’m going to be working just to give it back to the government — it’s de-motivating and demoralizing.”

It’s probably not a sweeping statement to say that America is a capitalist society with an all-about-myself mentality. This quote also makes me realize how much I love Canada. Canada is also a capitalist society, though I’ve heard many Americans call us socialists. But what is wrong with helping out your fellow countrymen? It almost seems like the word “socialist” is just seen as derogatory, without putting any thought into what it really brings to a society. I personally like that I get to help out my fellow countrymen who might happen to have greater struggles than me. For example, I will gladly pay higher taxes to make sure that new immigrants to Canada get settled in and find a job in their field. It is not de-motivating and de-moralizing.

Canada’s average income tax is 21% for a family of 2;

  • Sweden: 42%
  • Norway: 30%
  • USA: 12%

Where do these counties place in standard of living?

  • Canada: 3
  • Sweden: 7
  • Norway: 2
  • USA: 12

Could there be an association between higher taxes and higher standard of living? This is obviously not a scientific study so giving 6 numbers does not prove any association – but it’s interesting to think about.

So in conclusion, I love taxes. I do not mind paying more in order to help my country give me back more; be it parks, roads, schools, immigrant services, free healthcare, you name it.

But then again, I do not make $250K, so what do I know? But when I do, I will love paying those taxes too.

8 thoughts on “Why I Love Taxes

  1. James D. Schwartz Mar 12,2009 6:28 pm

    What if your government was wasteful and untrustworthy and corrupt? Would you still feel good about paying higher taxes?

  2. george Mar 12,2009 6:50 pm

    Jim has a way with the ladies?
    – g

  3. Steve Mar 13,2009 1:23 am

    I’m with you Boyan – no system is perfect – the Canadian system seems to find a better balance between recognizing individual effort and also supporting the idea that we all benefit when looking out for each other and not just ourselves. James raises a good point (the answer is obviously no and sadly the negative effects of corruption are on display in many parts of the world). I think the question should be, how do we guard against corruption (acknowledging that it’s a temptation for anyone in positions of power and influence).

  4. David Latimer Mar 13,2009 4:03 pm

    I think those of us who value a vibrant and active civil society (i.e. an active government working for the common good), need to focus energy on making government efficient, effective and responsive to the needs of the people. Without diligence, trust erodes and government becomes paralyzed.

  5. Anonymous Mar 19,2009 12:33 am

    If you like taxes so much, what do you think a reasonable limit is for how much tax we should pay? At what percentage does your love of taxes stop? 50%? 60%? 100%?

  6. boyan Mar 19,2009 12:34 am

    Alright, alright, let’s not go overboard 🙂 If my government was corrupt, as Jim says, maybe I wouldn’t want to give even 20% – because I wouldn’t be happy with the product I am getting (i.e. the way the government is using my money). So what I’m saying is, I like the product I am getting in Canada so I don’t mind paying for it.

  7. MR BIZ Mar 27,2009 4:19 am

    I LIVE IN THE US AND I DONT BELEIVE IN ALL ASPECTS OF SOCIALISM,BUT I ALSO DONT BELIEVE IN THIER BEING A HUGE GAP BETWEEN POOR PEOPLE AND RICH PEOPLE.DONT GET ME WRONG,THEIR ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT IF YOU GAVE THEM A MILLION DOLLARS THEY WOULD SIMPLY BLOW IT.SOME PEOPLE YOU JUST CANT HELP,BUT I DO BELIEVE THINGS LIKE HEALTH CARE SHOULD NOT BE SO EXPENSIVE AND THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO PROPER HEALTH CARE.PEOPLE SOMETIMES GET THE AMERICAN DREAM TRIP UP.THE AMERICAN DREAM IS NOT MERELY SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO ACHIEVE BUT THE MERE HOPE IS WHAT DRIVES US.WHEN YOU TAKE THAT HOPE AWAY YOU GET ALOT OF ANGRY PEOPLE WHO SEE NO END TO THIER STRUGGLE,THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES DONT SEE AS A STRUGGLE BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY SEE ON TV.AMERICA IS NOT JUST THE LAND OF THE FREE ITS THE LAND OF THE DANGEROUS AND SOMETIMES HARSH CONDITIONS.I LOVE MY COUNTRY AND AS AN AMERICAN I BELIEVE THAT NO MATTER WHAT GOVERNMENT YOU LIVE UNDER,IF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK HARD AND WANT TO HELP ARE NOT GIVEN A CHANCE THEN YOU CREATE ANGER AND RESEINMENT THAT CAN INFECT A WHOLE NATION.

  8. Mr Biz Mar 30,2009 6:34 pm

    Never in my life have I seen a president in office, being treated with so much disrepect as president obama has.The reason this country is going the way its gong now,is because for to long we have overlook the problems we face in this country.We want to help other countries and I understand that,but at the same time look at whats gong on here.We had a president who was unfit for his position.Bush was giving a country that had a surplus,had no clear wars and that had unployment at an all time low.In those Eight years nobody oppose what was going on.Nobody made it public that bush was leading us to disaster.Now you have a president who cares and has took on job that many of us would blow our brains out trying to accomplish.I see ads insulting a president who has only been president for two months.while those same people who blast obama sat back and said nothing about what bush was doing.I dont care what people say we might have a black president but I have never witness so much open racisism in my life thats going on in this country today.Iam a strong black man who lives the american dream everyday and I wont let anyone stop me on accomplishing my goals.In America we talk about people like Saddam Huessin who we call a tryant,thats funny because it may not be to the degree he took it but as a black man that follows the law works hard and pay taxes I observe tyrants here in America everday.My final message is that president Obama will succeed and that the hard working Black Americans will not stand for these insults of our president and we will not stand for being treated unfairly anymore we will stand up and we will succeed.With that in mind eat well ,live well and tip well.
    Posted by Mr Biz at 10:45 AM

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