This is all so very taxing.

Today’s class: Economics 101

Whether you want to believe it or not, every time you raise taxes there is a trickledown effect that negatively impacts everyone. It you tax people, they have less to spend on goods and services, less to invest, less to give to charities, etc. All of which causes job loss. When you tax corporations they have to reduce costs (lay off people) or increase prices. Increased prices paid by you have the same effect as if your taxes were increased. It’s a viscous cycle and like it or not, it’s the “rich” in this country that create jobs. Next time you see a homeless person holding a sign on a street corner ask him if he’s hiring.

Almost everyone would agree that some level of taxation is good for society as a whole but unfortunately, politicians love spending other people’s money and they do so with reckless abandon. Why should people in Louisiana be taxed to pay for a new bike path in Seattle? If the fine people in Seattle feel they need a new bike path, let them pay for it.

That being said, you can’t turn on a TV or read a newspaper without seeing where someone wants to, or is going to, raise the taxes on someone or something.

Here recently there’s been talk about taxing cosmetic surgery to pay for healthcare. I do find it a bit ironic that the boobs in Washington want to tax boob-jobs. But what about the person whose self esteem is affected by an exceedingly large nose? A lot of dental surgery is also cosmetic.

Now there’s the proposal in the L.A. Times entitled “Tough love for fat people: Tax their food to pay for healthcare” What they’re really saying is that we did it with cigarettes, let’s do it to soda and potato chips. Sorry folks, but it wouldn’t be just “fat” people paying this tax, it would be everyone who purchases any item deemed “unhealthy” by your nanny state politicians.

Here's an idea. In a previous post I discussed Cap and Trade. I believe we can take that a step further.

We should make everyone wear monitors that measure the amount of carbon dioxide being exhaled and levy a tax based on the amount that exceeds a set limit. This would be like the Cap and Trade bill but would work on an individual, and not industrial, level. As we ALL know, carbon dioxide is the leading cause of global warming so this would help the environment. Let’s say if you’re a jogger, or a blowhard politician, you could buy carbon credits from couch potatoes. The couch potatoes could then use the money to help pay for their fat tax.

Thanks for attending