Government employees should not pay some of their taxes
Lead Summary
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By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist
We often confuse the tax support structure – as well as cause foolish redundancies – when we have government employees pay all the taxes those of us in the civilian workforce pay.
This applies to all persons who work for government entities – at any level.
For instance, if a teacher lives in the district where he or she teaches, the teacher should not pay property taxes, or that portion of state and federal income taxes which go to support the school system that employs him or her.
In exchange for not paying these taxes, their income should be reduced by the corresponding amount.
Why?
Because this is just money going around in circles.
Likewise, city and county employees should not pay taxes on that portion of their income represented by taxes they pay. And, again, their income should be reduced to assure the net effect of this change is neutral.
Now, let’s jump to the federal employees. They should not pay federal income taxes on their income, and their income should be reduced by an equivalent amount.
Government employees often think they are like everyone else and they are contributing to the tax base just like everyone else. That is not so.
As I have pointed out herein, a certain portion of their income represents money that is just going around in circles – depending on their job, the tax base and where they live.
This gives them – government employees – a false sense that they are contributing to the funding of government just like taxpayers in the civilian workforce. They are not.
For, in the current system, that portion of their salary that comes from their taxing jurisdiction is false economic activity.
We certainly expect government employees to contribute to society. It is just that we ask them to contribute through their intellect, education, experience and, still in some cases, their raw muscular strength.
Who might we find in this category? I have already mentioned teachers by profession. City and county maintenance personnel, county commissioners, engineers, judges, prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement officers, paid firefighters, professors and many, many others would fall into the categories qualifying them for this special treatment.
Doctors and the entire health profession would be included as well, to the extent their income is derived from Medicare/Medicaid taxes, direct tax base funding and so forth.
Some might argue this introduces a level of unnecessary complexity. In today’s era, when nearly everyone’s paycheck is automatically computed electronically, I don’t think so.
After all, this is nearly the same set of conditions under which welfare recipients already operate. More importantly, I think it sends a lesson to all of us that a great deal of the financial activity in this country is simply funds chased around in circles.
Additionally, this system drives home that the only funding that counts for operating government at any level is that funding generated by private enterprise.
At the end of the day, business and agriculture are the only activities paying all the bills.
Let’s change the system and get honest about the source of government funding in this country.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.
HCP columnist
We often confuse the tax support structure – as well as cause foolish redundancies – when we have government employees pay all the taxes those of us in the civilian workforce pay.
This applies to all persons who work for government entities – at any level.
For instance, if a teacher lives in the district where he or she teaches, the teacher should not pay property taxes, or that portion of state and federal income taxes which go to support the school system that employs him or her.
In exchange for not paying these taxes, their income should be reduced by the corresponding amount.
Why?
Because this is just money going around in circles.
Likewise, city and county employees should not pay taxes on that portion of their income represented by taxes they pay. And, again, their income should be reduced to assure the net effect of this change is neutral.
Now, let’s jump to the federal employees. They should not pay federal income taxes on their income, and their income should be reduced by an equivalent amount.
Government employees often think they are like everyone else and they are contributing to the tax base just like everyone else. That is not so.
As I have pointed out herein, a certain portion of their income represents money that is just going around in circles – depending on their job, the tax base and where they live.
This gives them – government employees – a false sense that they are contributing to the funding of government just like taxpayers in the civilian workforce. They are not.
For, in the current system, that portion of their salary that comes from their taxing jurisdiction is false economic activity.
We certainly expect government employees to contribute to society. It is just that we ask them to contribute through their intellect, education, experience and, still in some cases, their raw muscular strength.
Who might we find in this category? I have already mentioned teachers by profession. City and county maintenance personnel, county commissioners, engineers, judges, prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement officers, paid firefighters, professors and many, many others would fall into the categories qualifying them for this special treatment.
Doctors and the entire health profession would be included as well, to the extent their income is derived from Medicare/Medicaid taxes, direct tax base funding and so forth.
Some might argue this introduces a level of unnecessary complexity. In today’s era, when nearly everyone’s paycheck is automatically computed electronically, I don’t think so.
After all, this is nearly the same set of conditions under which welfare recipients already operate. More importantly, I think it sends a lesson to all of us that a great deal of the financial activity in this country is simply funds chased around in circles.
Additionally, this system drives home that the only funding that counts for operating government at any level is that funding generated by private enterprise.
At the end of the day, business and agriculture are the only activities paying all the bills.
Let’s change the system and get honest about the source of government funding in this country.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.