Does this mean that we are paying less in taxes? Apparently so. If we’re not spending, we’re not paying the tax.
That works well for middle and upper income earners. They can afford not to spend on anything other than basic necessities.
Lower income earners don’t have that option. So the former get a tax break, the latter do not.
All that would be corrected by an income tax. A flat tax on earnings would restore the revenue that the middle and upper income earners are not paying (sales tax, remember?). We could even tie the sales tax to the revenue being collected through income tax. More revenue from income tax, the lower the sales tax. Sound workable?
On another topic, should we have the right to do whatever we want on our private property? Of course.
But what if it has a negative effect on others? Oops.
Then, we have to moderate our behavior. Those of us who refuse must be forced to do so through regulations. Deliberately harming others is rightfully against the law.
Environmental degradation hurts us all (as well as our children and grandchildren). We should be grateful that our elected officials appreciate that and remind us of our obligations to one another. The collective needs of community necessarily trump self-interest.
