In today's economic environment, there's an argument that we want people to SPEND more-- that's why we're all getting $600 checks instead of that money being used to, say, shore up social security.
I think Jeremey's basic argument says it best, really: the government needs to get money from somewhere, and these taxes mostly hit people who have money to spare. Of course nobody wants the taxes to hit them; that's why taxes on cigarettes and alcohol are so high, even though those taxes mostly affect poor people, because they are among the few things it's tough to get into a moral outrage over taxing. (An exorbitant "yacht tax" might be the only other safe tax.)
There are the arguments that services should be cut instead, that the government should spend "smarter," but that's kind of beside the point. The gov't should always be looking to spend smart, but we'll always need some money for social services.
Also: "double taxation" is a popular but almost always spurious argument. Every time I pay sales tax I'm being double taxed: I was taxed when I got it, now I'm taxed when I spend it! Then they're going to tax that money again when the store pays its employees! Then when those employees spend it there will be a quadruple tax! Then...
I think Jeremey's basic argument says it best, really: the government needs to get money from somewhere, and these taxes mostly hit people who have money to spare. Of course nobody wants the taxes to hit them; that's why taxes on cigarettes and alcohol are so high, even though those taxes mostly affect poor people, because they are among the few things it's tough to get into a moral outrage over taxing. (An exorbitant "yacht tax" might be the only other safe tax.)
There are the arguments that services should be cut instead, that the government should spend "smarter," but that's kind of beside the point. The gov't should always be looking to spend smart, but we'll always need some money for social services.
Also: "double taxation" is a popular but almost always spurious argument. Every time I pay sales tax I'm being double taxed: I was taxed when I got it, now I'm taxed when I spend it! Then they're going to tax that money again when the store pays its employees! Then when those employees spend it there will be a quadruple tax! Then...
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