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| A 21st Century Continental Congress? |
Republicans believe that there are a lot of wealthy people out there
who are deciding whether or not to hire someone. They’re contemplating whether
or not increasing their workforce will help them succeed in their businesses.
And if we cut their taxes, it will increase the likelihood that these
“job-creators” will be able to add new workers and create jobs.
If any of the above came out sounding sarcastic, it is unintended. There certainly must be some validity to this theory. It makes a great deal of sense. Anyone on the fence about creating a job will absolutely create more jobs if there is a bit of risk taken out of it. Lowering their taxes will give them more capital in their pockets to decide in favor of expanding their enterprise.
Democrats believe that if you shift that tax burden from the rich to the poor, the middle class and lower class will not have the purchasing power to create a demand for products that would drive that side of the economic engine. Claiming that wealthy individuals will not create jobs unless there is a demand for the products they are producing.
Again, if anything I’ve written sounds sarcastic, it is not intended. Certainly in the last few decades the tax burden has been shifted away from the wealthy and toward the middle class. And as for the poor, even if you don’t earn enough money to have to pay a federal income tax—you know, you’re elderly, a student, a handy-capped individual, etc.—you still pay a lot of state and local taxes, sales taxes and then there are the fees. Proportional to their income, the poor pay a great deal of tax leaving them with little money to purchase goods and services from others.
I think that both sides are correct but their arguments are eroding. What I see occurring daily is most wealthy people invest their money in foreign markets and store it in offshore tax havens. Then they fly to the Bahamas to enjoy mojitos on the beach. I don’t mean to make every wealthy person to be an evil, maniacal, greed-consumed person. But again, there has certainly been more of this going on in the past few decades. It is one of the results of globalization. And although not all wealthy people are consumed by greed, every person is aggressive with their money. Even the liberal anti-corporate crusader, Michael Moore, I’m sure has accountants who manage his money and will put it where it makes the most economic sense. Even if in places that are not necessarily good for America. And as consumers, we buy from China rather than products made in in the US because we want to save a dime so that we can make our money go further. We’re doing it too!!!
The goal seems to be to get the most bang for your buck, whether it hurts America or it helps America, which is a great economic drain on the country. We can favor the wealthy with the tax code and they will fund sweatshops in China, or we can favor the middle class, who will flock to buy Chinese products. Either way, America loses. Now we can ask the lower and middle class people to buy American and be willing to work harder to complete globally. But we have to cut the tax loopholes for the wealthy as well. For instance, the common rate of tax on so-called “carried interest” is about 15%. This is a cut of interest earned from investing someone else’s money. There is no stimulative benefit to giving a tax break on those earnings. Why should they be taxed at roughly half the rate of the wages of someone who shows up to work every day to drive a truck?
The point of all this is that we’re all to blame. So you can stop blaming our economic woes on the other side. We’re all pretty complicit. What we have to do is start thinking about how we correct it or adapt to the new economic reality. You see, nobody set out to destroy our nation. We all just drifted that way by our common human emotion: self-interest.
People, this is going to be a tough riddle to solve. While we are all fighting about who’s to blame, we are losing precious time to fix the nation’s problems. Moving forward is going to take concessions from both sides. And we may have to do a few more things that will hurt America in the short term.
Are there any adults left in the country to sit down and work out the country’s problems? How about a movement to appoint a short-term delegation that would direct Congress (no person having previously run for public office shall qualify). Candidates would have to be willing to compromise and get rid of any wasteful spending program or useless tax loophole. I can imagine a procedure much like the framing of our Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. Hopefully, without bloodshed. As groups of citizens, we’d establish a 21st Century Continental Congress and work out the details for a reformed government in a civil manner. Then demand that our representatives do as we ask (with enough citizens backing the delegation). Positions on the delegation would be voluntary and strict rules would be in place to prevent any corruption. Our panel would work with the president to make the changes that make sense. And the body would have the ability to direct its constituents to vote out the president if his/her actions are deemed sufficiently counter to the demands of the delegation. Current politicians could either remain in their positions, with pay, or retire. Elections to fill vacant seats would commence when government reforms are complete. The delegation would dissolve at that time. It would be direct democratic action in the purest sense. And there is no reason that this can’t work openly and transparently with the cooperation of the government. If we all demand it, politicians will comply. They would have no choice. If politicians oppose our 21st Century Continental Congress they would casting themselves in the roles of King George III and England.
But you know what, people? You may have to turn off American Idol and put some effort into it. And it may take years. No zapping it in the microwave for this thing.
If any of the above came out sounding sarcastic, it is unintended. There certainly must be some validity to this theory. It makes a great deal of sense. Anyone on the fence about creating a job will absolutely create more jobs if there is a bit of risk taken out of it. Lowering their taxes will give them more capital in their pockets to decide in favor of expanding their enterprise.
Democrats believe that if you shift that tax burden from the rich to the poor, the middle class and lower class will not have the purchasing power to create a demand for products that would drive that side of the economic engine. Claiming that wealthy individuals will not create jobs unless there is a demand for the products they are producing.
Again, if anything I’ve written sounds sarcastic, it is not intended. Certainly in the last few decades the tax burden has been shifted away from the wealthy and toward the middle class. And as for the poor, even if you don’t earn enough money to have to pay a federal income tax—you know, you’re elderly, a student, a handy-capped individual, etc.—you still pay a lot of state and local taxes, sales taxes and then there are the fees. Proportional to their income, the poor pay a great deal of tax leaving them with little money to purchase goods and services from others.
I think that both sides are correct but their arguments are eroding. What I see occurring daily is most wealthy people invest their money in foreign markets and store it in offshore tax havens. Then they fly to the Bahamas to enjoy mojitos on the beach. I don’t mean to make every wealthy person to be an evil, maniacal, greed-consumed person. But again, there has certainly been more of this going on in the past few decades. It is one of the results of globalization. And although not all wealthy people are consumed by greed, every person is aggressive with their money. Even the liberal anti-corporate crusader, Michael Moore, I’m sure has accountants who manage his money and will put it where it makes the most economic sense. Even if in places that are not necessarily good for America. And as consumers, we buy from China rather than products made in in the US because we want to save a dime so that we can make our money go further. We’re doing it too!!!
The goal seems to be to get the most bang for your buck, whether it hurts America or it helps America, which is a great economic drain on the country. We can favor the wealthy with the tax code and they will fund sweatshops in China, or we can favor the middle class, who will flock to buy Chinese products. Either way, America loses. Now we can ask the lower and middle class people to buy American and be willing to work harder to complete globally. But we have to cut the tax loopholes for the wealthy as well. For instance, the common rate of tax on so-called “carried interest” is about 15%. This is a cut of interest earned from investing someone else’s money. There is no stimulative benefit to giving a tax break on those earnings. Why should they be taxed at roughly half the rate of the wages of someone who shows up to work every day to drive a truck?
The point of all this is that we’re all to blame. So you can stop blaming our economic woes on the other side. We’re all pretty complicit. What we have to do is start thinking about how we correct it or adapt to the new economic reality. You see, nobody set out to destroy our nation. We all just drifted that way by our common human emotion: self-interest.
People, this is going to be a tough riddle to solve. While we are all fighting about who’s to blame, we are losing precious time to fix the nation’s problems. Moving forward is going to take concessions from both sides. And we may have to do a few more things that will hurt America in the short term.
Are there any adults left in the country to sit down and work out the country’s problems? How about a movement to appoint a short-term delegation that would direct Congress (no person having previously run for public office shall qualify). Candidates would have to be willing to compromise and get rid of any wasteful spending program or useless tax loophole. I can imagine a procedure much like the framing of our Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. Hopefully, without bloodshed. As groups of citizens, we’d establish a 21st Century Continental Congress and work out the details for a reformed government in a civil manner. Then demand that our representatives do as we ask (with enough citizens backing the delegation). Positions on the delegation would be voluntary and strict rules would be in place to prevent any corruption. Our panel would work with the president to make the changes that make sense. And the body would have the ability to direct its constituents to vote out the president if his/her actions are deemed sufficiently counter to the demands of the delegation. Current politicians could either remain in their positions, with pay, or retire. Elections to fill vacant seats would commence when government reforms are complete. The delegation would dissolve at that time. It would be direct democratic action in the purest sense. And there is no reason that this can’t work openly and transparently with the cooperation of the government. If we all demand it, politicians will comply. They would have no choice. If politicians oppose our 21st Century Continental Congress they would casting themselves in the roles of King George III and England.
But you know what, people? You may have to turn off American Idol and put some effort into it. And it may take years. No zapping it in the microwave for this thing.
So, do we have the strength, wisdom, courage and convictions of our forefathers who fought for this country’s independence? The rugged men who built this country? The steadfast citizens that led the Abolitionist Movement, the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement? The soldiers that defeated the Nazis? The people that put us on the moon and have placed our technological footprint on the outer reaches of the galaxy? This is our moment and we are floundering. Our last, best hope of fixing this country is not in a voting booth. It is in the palms of our hands. Will we have the wisdom to seize it?
~R. Charan Pagan
information systems technologist, musician, writer, filmmaker
Los Angeles, CA 90017
http://www.reclaimingourbirthright.blogspot.com/
