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  • Fix The Tax Code Friday: Bailing Out The Government

Fix The Tax Code Friday: Bailing Out The Government

Kelly Phillips ErbMay 15, 2009May 17, 2020

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday!

Remember that study that I cited from the Tax Foundation earlier in the week? That same report offered another statistic. In 2007, the cost of balancing the budget would have cost each taxpayer an additional $1,789 in taxes. This year, due to “the bailouts and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) under the Bush administration, as well as the stimulus and fiscal year 2009 omnibus spending bills under the Obama administration”, that number has skyrocketed to $8,798. Yep, $8,798 extra to balance the budget.

Is it worth it?

Today’s Fix the Tax Code Friday question is:

Would you be willing to pony up $8,798 in extra taxes to balance the budget? If not, what about would you be willing, if any, to put up?

(Psst, in case you’re wondering, the Tax Foundation study found that 6% of taxpayers would be willing to pay the whole thing.)

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Kelly Phillips Erb
Kelly Phillips Erb is a tax attorney, tax writer, and podcaster.
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8 thoughts on “Fix The Tax Code Friday: Bailing Out The Government”

  1. terri says:
    May 15, 2009 at 7:21 am

    to be completely honest….if i made enough money to be taxed that much i truly wouldn’t mind…as long as it was actually going to balance the national budget and close the deficit hole! since I doubt the extra funds would be properly dispersed… I would not be so happy to contribute.

    Reply
  2. MommyNamedApril says:
    May 15, 2009 at 8:42 am

    nothing. they got us into it, let them get us out. plus, isn’t that omnibus spending garbage supposed to be making money??? bwahahahahaha.

    Reply
  3. garagefather says:
    May 15, 2009 at 9:51 am

    With a budget estimated at 3.5 trillion, I think Uncle Sam can more than meet us half way. I would agree to more taxes to balance the budget if 1) the government passed a constitutional amendment requiring all government budgets to be balanced every year, and 2) Uncle Sam massively slashed spending not specifically authorized by the constitution, and 3) every able bodied adult citizen would have to contribute and carry a part in the overall burden on the citizenry.
    We are dangerously close to the point at which less than half of the adult citizens pay no income tax. When a majority of citizens have no skin in the game, they will vote for what they want by confiscating it from the minority. This is the point at which there may be no return for a once great country.

    Reply
  4. Wayne Phillips says:
    May 15, 2009 at 10:22 am

    Fix the Tax Code? Why? The legislation on Immigration will fix the tax code for millions of illegals aliens, and that should have current US citizens and taxpayers up in arms in opposition.
    Lou Dobbs Report:
    Legislation includes the following:
    – pay for the lawyers for appeals by illegal aliens (cracking open the Treasury vault to say the least for fraud and corruption in the name of legal help);
    – taxpayer money to be used to pay Mexicians to stay in Mexico (is this bummer and a no brainer. Unless you apply for immigration to this country, legally, Mexicians should not be paid to stay in their own country, which will probably be circumvented anyway. Family gets a check from the US Govt. and half of them living in US already;
    – provisions for illegal aliens not to have to pay back taxes if they have been here already (a tax amnesty – only good for the well connected US citizens who want Cabinet level jobs and illegal aliens);
    – the US government will pay tuition for illegals (the NC State Constitution states “The General Assembly shall provide that the benefits of The University of North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense.” Well that doesn’t work, ask my three kids and especially the daughter.)
    – “Cutting in line” priority to illegal aliens, over other applicants who want to come to America and be a contributing citizen and taxpayer;
    – English will not be required!! How can one be a contributing citizen when they do not understand the language, and schools have to provide bi-lingual classes at tax payer expense, therefore robbing other subjects funds to be taught in schools, an additional burden on already stretched school budgets;
    – Illegal aliens will be entitled to the “Earned Income Tax credit”, but they don’t have to learn English to get it?
    This legislation is outrageous. It slaps American values in the face. It overlooks and ignores applications for citizens of other countries (India, Japan, European, etc) opportunity to make America their opportunity too.
    The deficit is already beyond belief, and there can’t be a dollar value placed on the US Govt, the states and local governments who will have to fund this excrement of legislation (Old English ‘scite’).
    This is mean stuff. Taxes will be required to amke this happen at all levels. As a US citizen and taxpayer, I am very strongly opposed to this. It will be a very divisive issue, more so than any other. It cannot be ignored, or allowed to be passed.

    Reply
  5. TexasEd says:
    May 15, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    right on, garagefather!!! Not one red cent until they demonstrate some responsibility. I would add term limits as well. Let’s begin by cutting congressional staff and pay in half, and putting them in the same medical and retirement plan as other civil servants! Lots of luck!!

    Reply
  6. jennydecki says:
    May 15, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    haha bailing out the gov’t is like having a junkie cousin that you keep giving money too. Last year my pretend junkie cousin owed his dealer almost 2k…now because he helped out some other junkies that don’t know how to help themselves and got busted, he needs about 9k. You willing to help out?

    LMAO

    Yeah…cause I’m sure you will promise you’ll never need it again 🙂 Uh huh.

    Reply
  7. Skye says:
    May 17, 2009 at 11:35 pm

    I’m one of the few fortunate enough to have that kind of money to spare, and I would, but how many people are really in that situation?

    Reply
  8. Tim says:
    July 18, 2009 at 8:24 am

    I’d pay more to see universal health care. I don’t know about covering the entire deficit. I think we are spending way too much on military.

    Reply

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