06-30-2018, 05:39 PM | #1 |
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Fundamental error in the US constitution
17% of Americans work for the government (Fed, State or Local). The Tax to GDP ratio is 26%. The Government budget is 36% of GDP.
So the amount of money the "government" in the US spends is more than a third of the total money produced (Fed, State, local). With that expense they employ 17%, whereas the private sector employees 83% with 64% of GDP. That means the private sector employs 3 times as many people as government for the same amount of money. These numbers tell me that the money given to government is extremely inefficient at producing jobs. Likewise money sent to the government is much less likely to result in economic advancement for this country (patents, copyrights, and other examples of innovation). It seems incredible to me that there is no accountability for these very poor results. I think the US constitution should stipulate what percent of GDP goes to the government in the form of tax. Second, the % of government jobs needs to be tied to this. Public sector jobs pay about 8% more than private sector, so why is there such a disparity between tax revenue and the amount of jobs? Also, I think the ability to declare war needs to be spelled out much clearer. The federal government should be allowed to declare war, however, the armies should be State raised militias. The US constitution is a contract between the people and the government. In this contract we are agreeing to pay, on average, 36% of our annual income, yet have little idea about what we are paying for or what the government is using the money for. Why is it that when you buy anything else you have a clear idea what you are getting, that contract law requires contracts to clearly spell out what is taking place, yet we give 36% of our income each year to the government and we do not have that same clarity. The US government should be allowed to create a budget each year on how to best spend the amount of money they are receiving, but they should not be allowed to change how much they receive without a constitutional amendment. Therefore the tax code needs to be simplified and also be part of the US constitution. Is it a poll tax? An income tax? A sales tax? A land tax? In addition to this we should have oversight of the government handled by non government staff. It is absurd that the government polices the government and the Vice President is not policed by anyone (according to Dick Cheney). The justice department and Supreme court should not be political appointees. You are clearly asking for corruption.
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06-30-2018, 06:03 PM | #2 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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And taxes on property means you don't own that property.
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06-30-2018, 07:35 PM | #3 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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I once read that income tax began as a "voluntary" contribution.
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07-01-2018, 08:10 AM | #4 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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The income tax was started to pay the Federal Reserve, that was started a few months prior, back in 1912/13, respectively.
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07-01-2018, 09:02 AM | #5 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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Your idea of "oversight of the the government by non-governmental staff" is funny. Don't you see that would simply be another layer of government to pay for. It's an age-old problem. As Plato asked in The Republic, "Who will watch the watchers?" If you want anarchy, maybe you should try Somalia or some other failed state. If Trump has his way, we'll have a full blown police state. Maybe you'll like that better.
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07-01-2018, 10:54 AM | #6 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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1. You pay federal tax. 2. You pay Social Security. 3. You pay State and local taxes. 4. You pay sales tax. 5. You pay tolls. 6. You pay annual registration fee for your car. You might think that is it, but you are wrong. In addition to this you are buying stuff from corporations that also paid tax. If you were going to replace the total tax collected by the State, Local and Federal government with a sales tax that tax is estimated to be 40%.
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07-01-2018, 11:04 AM | #7 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-01-2018, 11:14 AM | #8 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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Taxation in the United States in 1776 was incredibly different than what it is today. There were no income taxes, no corporate taxes, and no payroll taxes. Instead, the American Colonies (and to a larger extent, the British Crown) were primarily funded by tariffs and excise taxes. During the Civil war the Union financed the war with bonds (about 2/3) and with excise taxes. In 1913 the US passed the 16th amendment legalizing income tax. Tax revenue in the US was around 5% of GDP or less until 1932. By 1942 we were up around 20% of GDP and never looked back.
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07-01-2018, 12:18 PM | #9 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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If the ONLY taxation was sales tax, people would bypass it with bartering and an underground market. What makes the current taxation operate is mandatory withdrawals -- from paychecks, mortgages, and cashiers. It is the business owners and self-employed who learn how to cheat the system.
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07-01-2018, 12:34 PM | #10 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-02-2018, 09:02 AM | #11 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-02-2018, 09:07 AM | #12 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-02-2018, 09:13 AM | #13 |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
I guess your not a lover of the US Constitution like every politician claims to be. Article I, section 8 grants Congress the power to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts, and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defense and general Welfare of the United States."
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07-02-2018, 12:57 PM | #14 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-02-2018, 04:25 PM | #15 |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
I agree 100%. Who is to decide if the programs paid for by the government actually contribute to "the general welfare" and who is to judge if the money would have been better spent had they not taken in tax revenues?
This amendment gives the US government unlimited power. No limit as to how much they can tax and any program at all can fall under the nebulous heading of "general welfare".
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07-02-2018, 05:20 PM | #16 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-03-2018, 12:24 PM | #17 |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
That depends on what was meant by the word "posterity" in the preamble.
Then there's "To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization" in Article 1 Section 8. I don't think the constitution supports closing our borders. Our founding documents contained moral truths. Therefore there's a moral issue with immigration. Which shouldn't be an issue for a nation that claims to have a Christian majority.
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07-03-2018, 01:43 PM | #18 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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Did you see how those "evil" ones separated an immigrant woman from her daughter. Her conclusion: "None of those evil Americans have a heart." Apparently she checked all of them, some 300+ million. Then they were made to stand in various lines for free housing, food stamps, welfare, health insurance, and public transportation. Like Obama's minister the Reverend Wright told us, "Not God bless America, but God d**m America!"
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07-03-2018, 04:04 PM | #19 |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
Trump still has his job, but it's not been so good for some fake news types, here's the story about ...
Brian Ross and 15 Others Whose Anti-Trump Mania Cost Them Their Media Jobs Drain the swamp!
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07-09-2018, 11:54 AM | #20 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-09-2018, 02:18 PM | #21 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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If not, then reign them in.
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07-09-2018, 06:40 PM | #22 |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
Sounds like you're running for office. Will there be a chicken in every pot?
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07-10-2018, 03:49 PM | #23 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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They don't raise taxes, they simply borrow more money, then when they are about to run out they pass "emergency budgets" which allow them to run over, and they do that again, and again, and again, ad infinitum.
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07-10-2018, 04:21 PM | #24 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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I agree government borrowing and spending is out of control, and there ought to be a way for the American public to reign it in. But, I don't think you've found it yet. As usual, the Republicans made a lot of noise about it when they were not in power, but now that they are, they're cutting taxes for billionaires and corporations and spending money like there is no tomorrow. It's another way in which the two party system seems to be failing. We need to get beyond partisan rancor to get things done for the good of all. Besides, even if you come up with a workable solution, do you know how difficult it is to pass a constitutional amendment?
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07-10-2018, 04:47 PM | #25 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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I could go into ten reasons why the US government is a profligate spender and should not be entrusted with the keys to your bank account. Do you remember that famous bank robber who was asked why he robs banks and he said "because that is where the money is". Well all the thieves know that the US govt budget "is where the money is".
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07-10-2018, 06:17 PM | #26 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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07-10-2018, 07:12 PM | #27 | |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
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Second, I would like to remove the power to wage war and maintain this huge military complex from the Federal government and distribute it among the fifty states. I think the Federal government should be permitted to have the CIA and NSA to advise state governments if we need to raise an army. I think each state should be fully involved legally if any of their residents are being surveilled. Third I don't think the Federal government should be allowed to borrow money. The only exception to this rule is if the 50 states have voted to go to war. I am not against a fiat currency, nor am I against debt. Instead I think that Social Security and the treasury should be rolled into one entity that is completely independent from the Federal government, and given certain mandates like a pension fund manager. If a fund manager had been put in charge of Social Security it would have been invested in a much better way which would have stimulated our economy. Instead the Federal government stole that money and the only way they have to stimulate the economy is to lower interest rates. I feel our low interest rates are a symptom of federal government stealing Social Security and not reinvesting it in the economy. Although I am referring to "a" fund manager, in reality I am thinking you would have a multitude of managers so that inept ones could be fired, corrupt ones imprisoned, and those that perform well like Warren Buffet rewarded. Our military complex has morphed into this massive, all consuming force that acts in secrecy and which one mad president has disproportionate power to wield. I don't think our military complex makes us safer, on the contrary I think there are many people around the world and even in the US that are threatened by this entity. Why? So then what about our nuclear missiles or Navy? We need to keep these, however, the cost would become something that is taxed on the State level. This way each State government would have access to see what we are paying for and have to justify it to the people. An average sized state would pay 2% of the cost, but have oversight to the entire budget. If you don't know what you are paying for then that is no different than "taxation without representation".
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07-13-2018, 05:19 PM | #28 |
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Re: Fundamental error in the US constitution
When the constitution was made they were supposed to balance power between the states and the Federal govt. But since the Federal govt can run up debts, declare war, and maintain a standing army, CIA and NSA there is no balance at all. That is the fundamental error.
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