In the 2008 tax season, the number of Americans who paid no income tax was at a startling 38%, but in just one year the number has risen to almost half of the population. The poor in the country historically have been exempted from the responsibility of paying income taxes while the rest of us cover their share, but now the availability of these programs have begun to include middle class families with home buyer credits and making work pay credits. The burden of paying income taxes has now fallen on the shoulders of fewer Americans while our population continues to increase.
This stat makes the Tea Party movement seem ridiculous. If nearly half of Americans pay no income tax then how can it be that Americans are over taxed as the movement so describes? The Democratic Party has established a built-in electorate by supporting those either unable or unwilling to support themselves and continues to provide them with welfare, food stamps, housing, and day care, therefore establishing a never-ending bond with those voters. In the mean time they continue collecting money from those eager to work hard and strive for the American dream. If this trend continues, we will find there are more people riding then are pulling the wagon we call America.
Alternatives to our current tax code have addressed this issue and have come up with proposed solutions to our taxation problems including the fair tax, and a flat tax. The fair tax is simple; it focuses on taxing you only on the money you spend, like a national sales tax. A flat tax is equally as simple, it contains a pre-described number at which all working Americans will be taxed. Both alternative tax plans would virtually eliminate the number of Americans who pay no taxes while continuing with the progressive taxation system.
It is obvious that the current system is failing us and as the rate of non tax payers rises it will become unsustainable. It is very important to remember that it has never been the roll of the Federal Government to provide for the nations needy. Like President Grover Cleveland said, “Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character.” He said this after vetoing a bill from congress to send federal aid to Texas farmers who were suffering a severe drought. His suggestion was for the friends and neighbors to help the farmers rather than the government to avoid more and more groups with their hand out. Sure, unlike the Texas farmers who were suffering from a drought, those surviving off tax payer money these days are suffering from the “expectation of paternal care” from the Federal Government.
Despite the disgraceful criticisms of the Tea Party movement, the Tea Party event I observed displayed nothing that should be considered outrageous. There was no racism, no signs of militia members, and no conspiracy theorists. What I did see was thousands of Americans, some with signs displaying their most recent grievance with the Federal Government, but not a single one that would help the media devalue the event. The emcee for the event went through a list if intolerances of the Tea Party, perhaps poking fun at the critics, but done very tastefully. I saw an African-American carrying a sign that read “Stop calling me racist.” I later found out that he found no need to be called an African-American, but preferred just “American.” This mentality seemed to run throughout all participating in the rally.
With every positive element I mentioned, the night did not go without incident. At one point a man showed up dressed as a confederate soldier carrying a rather large confederate flag. As he approached the entrance he was detained by party members and not allowed in. He gave some excuse about in his day they were over taxed and how he wanted to represent them, but was informed that he was not welcome at the event… Had he been allowed in I suppose it would have been a media paradise showing how we all were somehow of the same mindset as that man, but of course they would have been wrong.
Former President Clinton has begun speaking about the Tea Party movement and how dangerous it has become; fearing violence could result from the rallies taking place. I wonder if President Clinton attended the rally I saw if he would be able to continue with such nonsense, or would he see it as a peaceful gathering of Americans with a differing opinion of how the country should be governed.
My goal was to observe the rally and see for myself if there was any truth to the hateful reports of the media, but as you can see there was nothing at this particular event. I am pleased to say, I have every intention of attending and participating the next time one is organized in my area.
As many of you have heard there is a movement sweeping across America, a gathering of support for this movement commonly called a Tea Party. As it contains countless issues and individual complaints about the government, it does have general themes. The driving force for the Tea Party movement consists of excessive government spending and taxation. The idea is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with three core values; Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets. As today is the official Tax day, April 15th has over 650 Tea Party events scheduled across the United States.
It is my understanding that Tea Party participants understand we are facing issues that have evolved over many administrations and are not content in supporting the run of the mill Republican candidate. No, they are more focused and determined than that. They strive to find candidates with conservative values such as those above to promote the Constitution as it was written rather than expose and exploit it.
The Tea Party movement has seen no shortage of critics in the press. The New York Times has accused it of setting off a powder keg of mostly white nativists, separatists, militia members and wild conspiracy theorists. Columnist Frank Rich compared Tea Partiers to that of Nazis and segregationists. The Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson said they are guilty of echoing the paranoid ravings of the most extreme right-wing nutcases. And Salon columnist Joan Walsh painted the group as “disturbingly racist and reactionary, from its roots to its highest branches.”
With these media comments in mind I plan to attend a widely advertised and planned Tea Party event here in Dallas/Fort Worth. I will be there with my own conservative values, my own grievances with the current administration and many past ones, but at the same time I will be there eyes wide open for evidence of the criticism blasted by the media. I plan to be your eyes on the ground and will not hesitate to report on it. Although my values have been consistent with the Tea Party movement, tonight will mark my first attendance to an event. The outcome of my observations tonight will decide if I will consider another.
A few days ago at an Ohio healthcare rally President Obama told the audience that many employers who provide health insurance for their employees would see a 3000% reduction in premiums; therefore, able to give their employees a raise. As you watch the video above try to observe the reaction from the crowd. Are these people mindless drones who are obliged to applaud when a light comes on or do they actually believe his words? Watching that small crowd does make it easier to understand how there is even minimal support for the current healthcare bill.
I tend to think that President Obama’s 3000% reference was simply a misstatement similar to when he said he had visited 57 states during the campaign or when he suggested giving breathalyzers to children with asthma. I don’t really mind that he makes simple human errors, even when he is reading his speech from a screen, but for the supporters to cheer as if his words might actually have some meaning is truly frightening. I wonder how many Americans would agree with this statement. ”We need to break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution. The Constitution says what the states can’t do to you, it says what the Federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government must do on your behalf. This is an out of context and slightly edited quote from then Senator Obama, but was used as a liberal defense for the healthcare bill. Do Americans really believe that we should change the constitution in order to establish social justice? There are many places on planet Earth who have a system in place to do just that. President Regan explained this years ago when he saw this travesty coming. He said, “If we lose Freedom here, there is no place to turn to. This is the last stand on Earth.” I hope Americans can in one voice finally agree on something and begin to appreciate the freedoms our great nation has given us at the hands of our Founding Fathers rather than busying themselves on ways to get around the Constitution which has given us the ability to have and be proud of our American exceptionalism.
I believe Americans as a whole spend very little time in their daily lives wondering if particular laws or programs are covered under the Constitution of the United States, even though most of us completely agree that the constitution is vital to the American system. We have not been viewed in the past as the shining light of freedom because of America’s individuals, but because of the document we follow and use to maintain freedoms to the people. We have a system of government where we elect our representatives and leaders, those who will be making decisions on our behalf; therefore, it is important to feel confident that those we elect will have the same respect and admiration for the constitution as our founding fathers did.
Somehow in the process of campaigning and special interest we have elected people into power that believe our constitution should be changed as times change and as our needs do. This is a very dangerous situation. When those we elect take the oath into office, it is simply an oath that they will be defending the constitution, defending it seems to take a back burner when they are constantly trying to find ways around it. As this election cycle grows nearer I ask Americans to not just get out there and vote, but to find the candidate who you think will uphold the constitution as it was written and do your best to see through the empty promises of more jobs or lower taxes. If they follow the documents left behind from our nation’s founders then our private sector will be strong which will create the jobs necessary for this country to be strong again.