Wealth Redistribution

Whoever said, “Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes,” definitely caught the sentiment of many people. While it is definitely true that death is an eventuality that all humans will face, most people don’t look forward to it. However, few things stir up resentment more than paying taxes. Very few people, regardless of their economic status, like the idea of the government putting its hands in their pocketbook. Most Americans have come to understand that taxes are a necessary evil that we all must endure.

Taxes are a part of the American way that we must accept. No individual really wants to pay them; however, no one wants to do without the many services that the government provides either. We don’t want to live without clean water, law enforcement, education and many other benefits offered to citizens. We have come to expect these services and numerous others. While we may support some government programs, inevitably there will be others we don't agree with because they seem frivolous, wasteful, or some other aspect that doesn't sit right with our belief system.

No matter how we may feel, we still must pay taxes. Our taxes are based, in part, on a percentage of our income. It may bring us grief to pay those taxes, but the working poor generally feel the negative effect the worst. While those taxes may be more painful and visible to the working poor, many times the nonworking poor are the ones who benefit the most from those taxes in the form of government programs for low income families. Try to explain that to someone who makes minimum wage. It may be a hard sell.

Some have argued that taxes are nothing more than wealth redistribution. Taking money from one person and giving it to another. Who makes the decisions as to who gets what may vary. Congress plays the major role in this money distribution and therein may lay our dilemma. While we may suffer in the wallet area and yet believe in certain programs, many times we can only see Congress as being the major benefactor of that wealth redistribution. Whether that is the truth of the matter or not, we always seem to notice when taxes are taken from us or programs are cut back that directly affect us. This is especially true when we see our elected officials giving themselves regular wage increases. Perhaps one way to look at the situation would be that we can stop paying taxes when we are dead.