Most of us have heard of the “KISS” system (keep it simple, stupid).
Most of us seem to inherently realize that piling complexity upon
complexity tends to make a process less efficient, not more so. Where
this concept seems to get lost is at the governmental level – especially
the federal government.
More and more the nation’s taxpayers are getting
fed up with not only the burden of paying taxes, but also in trying
to decipher the tax code itself. There has been a growing momentum
among taxpayers, and among at least some of the lawmakers on Capitol
Hill, to replace the current method of taxation with either a flat
tax, or a consumption tax. This past Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman
Alan Greenspan joined the growing chorus when he remarked that the
present system is so complicated that it has become a drain on the
economy itself.
The truth of his statement should be as obvious as
the nose on Bill Clinton’s face, but as is so often the case, some
of the nation’s congress critters persist in denying the obvious.
One such example is New York Democrat Charles Rangel, who responded
to Greenspan’s call for a simpler tax code by calling such an idea
an “injustice”. Rangel has apparently redefined the concept of fairness,
by insisting that it would be “unfair” for everyone to pay the same
percentage of tax. Not the same amount, mind you – the same percentage.
I suppose for Rangel the fact that “the rich” will still be paying
much more than “the poor” isn’t enough. In Rangel’s eyes, they should
not only pay more, but in addition should be punished for their success
by paying a higher percentage as well. Not to do so would therefore
be an “injustice”, and “unfair”.
Year after year, we pay high taxes
into a system overwrought with complex laws that have spiraled out
of control, all for the “privilege” of letting politicians engage
in vote buying schemes. Rangel and his liberal cronies may see the
current system as a way of providing the best government that money
can buy, but the rest of us are long overdue for a refund.
