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Health & Fitness

Taxes Are a Civic Responsibility

All Americans should be concerned about the developing belief in our country that we can somehow have services yet not pay the price.

Seems like every time I open the Patch somebody is talking about how Californians are overtaxed. Writers bemoan the fact the state payrolls are loaded with unnecessary employees and, more troubling, that somehow all of the problems in state government can be fixed by simply cutting the budget.

One of the prime tenets of propaganda is that if you say something long enough and loud enough then people will believe it. Think of John McCain in the South Carolina primary a few years ago when a robo-call went out accusing him of having a black child out of wedlock. Or John Kerry and the swift-boat accusations that essentially derailed his campaign.

That same kind of unfounded rhetoric concerning the state of California seems to be the norm, rather than the exception.

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I'm new to blogging. But as an educator, I know that for people to really consider what you write you must keep it short, simple and focused on the facts. Therefore, this will be the first in a series.

Are California state taxes really too high? Unfortunately, there seems to be a belief that we are overtaxed in California. Listening to the anti-tax crusaders, one would think that we are now paying the highest taxes ever in the history of the state.

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Poppycock. According to California's Department of Finance, taxes are at a historical low. Back when Ronald Reagan was in office in the 70s, taxes averaged $6.89 per $100 of personal income. Currently taxes average $6.45 per $100 of personal income. If the governor's tax proposals were to pass, Californians would increase their taxes to $6.67 per $100 of personal income—still below the level when Reagan left office.

This inflammatory rhetoric about taxes is not just limited to California. All Americans should be concerned about the developing belief in our country that we can somehow have services yet not pay the price.

There was a time when we believed that taxes were part of our civic duty. When Eisenhower set out to expand the Interstate system, and create the roadways that drive our interstate commerce, the top tax level in this country was 91%.  

At that time, corporations paid in taxes $1.50 for every dollar that the average American paid. Today, corporations pay $0.25 in taxes for every dollar that Americans pay.  

When Reagan went into office, the top tax rate was 50%. Reagan was successful in lowering the top tax rate to 28%. The country quickly learned that these tax changes were not enough to pay for government and Congress quickly raised it, under George Herbert Bush, to 39%.

The tax rate now is 35%, the lowest since 1913. Unfortunately, it was Bush's "Read my lips, no new taxes,” quote that led to his loss of office—a loss he suffered because he did the right thing. He raised taxes to fund government and its services.

That's what real conservatives do—make the tough policy choices when necessary for the good of the country. Sadly, politicians learned a lesson through what happened to him and consequently the "no taxes" mantra is slowly destroying that which made America great.

Don't believe me? We drive down roads every day that are full of potholes. The list of infrastructure repairs necessary is overwhelming in its enormity and complexity.

Our university system in California is now almost as costly as the private university system. Our K-12 schools have the largest class sizes in the nation. Prisons are releasing inmates because they no longer have the budgets to house them. This “no taxes, cut government” rhetoric is even more disturbing in that we are no longer taking care of the weakest members of our society.

Regardless of the propaganda surrounding taxes, the simple truth is—you get what you pay for. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Institutions that were the pride of this nation and our state are in dire straits.

Can we fix this? Yes, but it will take sacrifice from all of us. It will take a willingness to engage our civic duty by paying a fair share of taxes.

The number one economy in the world, Germany, has both a social net and a top tax rate of 40%. It is possible to care for the weak and the poor, create world-class schools, and have a functioning infrastructure. It is time for all reasonable people to accept our civil responsibility, and instead of avoiding taxes, be willing to pay the taxes necessary to restore our state and nation.

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