Tuesday, December 06, 2005

TAXING POWER ABUSED; ARE LIBERALS OR CONSERVATIVES TO BLAME?

The taxing power is being abused, if you accept our analysis. We believe the taxing power should be limited, and used to raise money for government purposes. Taxes should be fairly imposed, and should be separated from government policy.

For example. Some people would like to own (keep and bear) submachine guns. Tommy guns are preferable, or some other authomatic of more recent vintage. Each to his own. For some reason, good or bad, the government wants to prevent the people from keeping and bearing Tommy Guns. Some in Congress want to take away my right (if it is a constitutional right, they cannot do it, but that is not the issue here).

First question. Those in power in the government (Congress) who want to take away my right to keep and bear a Tommy Gun; are they liberal or conservative? If Congress had been given the police power (in the Constitution), that would enable Congress to forthrightly say the people are to be left alone in the right to keep and bear a Tommy Gun, or to say, the people ought not to, and will not be allowed to, keep and bear a Tommy Gun.

Right there, we would look at Congress, see those who are trying to take away the right to keep and bear the Tommy Gun; and see those who are for staying out of the matter and allowing those who want the gun to keep and bear it. Then we could clearly identify the liberal and the conservative, and vote accordingly.

Complication. The Constitution, which is the social contract we signed, grants certain powers, and some necessarily implied powers, to the United States government; but not the police power. That is reserved to the States, or to the people. So how does Congress manage to outlaw the Tommy Gun? If the Congress wants to take that step, they must hang their hat on the power to regulate interstate commerce, or the power to tax; and in either case, that is an abuse of power.

So Congress imposes a confiscatory tax on Tommy Guns, and in effect usurps the police power, and takes away our right to keep and bear the Tommy Gun. Was that a conservative, or a liberal measure by which they took away that right? If Congress had the police power and took away our Tommy Guns, would that be conservative or liberal?

Some may favor the police power being used to take away people's rights to keep and bear the Tommy Gun. Are they liberal or conservative? But when you favor using the taxing power to accomplish that goal, what are you?

A law was recently passed, to forgive millions in taxes each year (is not this a subsidy?) to induce some promoters to open up businesses in New Mexico. Loans to businesses, with taxpayer money, are subsidies, are they not? Are these practices conservative, or liberal?

Let us pass a law, impose a tax, and raise money and give it to Graham Wellington, a promoter, who wants to open a business in New Mexico (a corporation, or LLC, or limited liability partnership, so Wellington does not risk his own assets). All those in favor, say Aye. Are you liberal? Are you conservative? Are you a Democrat, tax and spend? Or are you a Republican, small, limited government person?