Taxation

Guess what? A retiring journalist for nearly one half century, Charlie Reese of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, penned his final thoughts. Guess what he wrote? He discussed the proliferation of taxes in our Country in the last century arguing that a few (just over 500 officials) exercise their own jurisdiction in making primarily federal laws. You probably know many of these five hundred lawmakers by name at least. Let's take a look at his tax findings of the last century.

Accounts Receivable Tax • Building Permit Tax • CDL license Tax • Cigarette Tax • Corporate Income Tax • Dog License Tax • Excise Tax • Federal Income Tax • Federal Unemployment Tax • Fishing License Tax • Food License Tax • Fuel Permit Tax • Gasoline Tax • (average 44.75 cents per gallon) Gross Receipts Tax • Hunting License Tax • Inheritance Tax • Inventory Tax • IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalty Tax • Liquor Tax • Luxury Tax • Marriage Tax • Medicare Tax • Personal Property Tax • Property Tax • Real Estate Tax • Recreational Vehicle Tax • Road Service Tax • Road Usage Tax • Sales Tax • School Tax • Service Charge Tax • Social Security Tax • State Income Tax • State Un-employment Tax • Telephone Federal Excise Tax • Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax • Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax • Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax • Telephone State and Local Tax • Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax • Telephone Usage Charge Tax • Vehicle License Registration Tax • Vehicle Sales Tax • Watercraft Registration Tax • Vehicle License Registration Tax • Watercraft Registration Tax • Well Permit Tax • Workers Compensation Tax.

Sorry if I missed some but tried to fit them all on one page. These are primarily federal taxes with some overlapping. Imagine the list if all state and local taxes were added, also executed by a small minority. Some times it appears too easy for elected officials to raise taxes, lift debt ceilings, finance frivolous funding rather than thinking things through, honoring governing of the people, by the people, for the people. It seems amazing how so few make decisions affecting so many although we probably don't give that enough thought.

We worry about the multitude of taxes, the amount charged, the range, their duration, those who cleverly avoid them along with rising debts, ceilings and inefficiencies as well as alternatives. Taxes are rarely negotiable, not easily avoidable although some do manage to do so. Then there is the challenge of finding other means of raising necessary funding as well as the elimination of misbegotten causes.

We should be thankful for people like Charlie Reese and others like him willing to voice concerns about excessive taxation, spurious funding, irresponsible handouts and cronyism. As a clergyman, the taxation of church members apparently is not practiced although tithing (usually one tenth of income or material possessions) is encouraged. In practice, it has been recorded that much less is given with both adequate and inadequate results. In effect, were church members and friends to tithe, so much more could be done, deficits would vanish, and joy would abound.

Even so, taxation based on income may be welcome and in a sense somewhat impartial, it may not be adequate just as a tithe may not be adequate for an excessively luxurious congregation. Taxation, even when essential, but without representation and intrinsic value is usually questionable, is it not?