Stop Pulling the Wagon

MY WAY TO REDUCE INFLATION

There is a “sure-fire” way to reduce inflation and it is guaranteed to work.  Greatly reduce or eliminate taxes and fees by “government” on those who produce the things we need to live our lives. From toothpaste to gasoline to laundry detergent to the electricity that runs our air conditioners.  Everything we need, want and buy for day to day living.  

Politicians don’t want to reduce or eliminate taxes on these businesses because they have spent years telling us these companies, producers and corporations need to pay their “fair share” of taxes.  They know but won’t admit that these companies, producers and corporations don’t pay taxes, their customers (that’s us) do.  Taxes are just another cost factor in production.  For a simple example, people in California have been educated by politicians that Pacific Gas and Electric Company must pay their “fair share” of taxes.  The company has one, and only one, source of revenue to pay these taxes.  Their customers.  They don’t have an orchard of money trees. 

The same principal applies to all of the other things we consume in our lives.  The more you tax the folks who provide what we need, the more it will cost the consumer.  This “corporate tax” is another cost of production and, in the end, the consumer pays the tax indirectly to the government.

At the risk of being redundant, whether building a house or producing a tube of toothpaste, if Cities, Counties, States or the Federal Government add a “permit” cost, a fee or a tax, and whether the cost is $100,000 on a home building permit or 7 Cents on a tube of toothpaste, the “Bean Counters” in Accounting see it as a cost of production and add it to the end price of the product being sold.  They have to pass on those taxes and fees by adding them into the end price of the “stuff” they produce and sell to consumers. 

A Business or Corporations that does not show a profit for those who invest in them goes out of business.  Some will say just tax their profits but we already do that when profits are paid out to those who own the business or shareholders are paid profits.

TAXING A BUSINESS OR CORPORATION IS JUST AN INDIRECT WAY OF TAXING CONSUMERS AND THE ONES WHO GET HURT THE MOST ARE THE WORKING POOR (EMPHASIS – WORKING).  IF POLITICIANS ARE SINCERELY INTERESTED IN CUTTING INFLATION THEY CAN DO SO EASILY BY CUTTING, OR ELIMINATING, TAXES AND FEES ON THE PRODUCERS OF ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO LIVE – LIKE GROCERIES, GASOLINE, ENERGY, CLOTHING ETC. ETC. ETC. 

IT HAS BEEN MY OBSERVATION OVER THE YEARS THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMEBODY DEMANDING THAT “THEY” PAY THEIR “FAIR SHARE” REACHING FOR THEIR OWN WALLET OR CHECKBOOK

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To end on a lighter note, back in 2017 I wrote a satire piece about California’s never ending search for new taxes and fixation to combat Global Climate Change.  That article is reprinted below. Enjoy!

FAIR SHARE TAXES AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

November 2017

I have information from reliable but nameless and secret sources that the State of California is very near announcement of a two fold plan for a Fair Share Universal Tax to help fund the War on Global Climate Change.

First, in recognition that exhaling releases carbon dioxide gas which is a contributor to Global Climate Change,  every resident or visitor to the State of California will be required to have a micro chip implant that will both monitor and report each time they exhale to the State of California.

This data will be forwarded to the Franchise Tax Board who will calculate the tax due and be responsible for collecting the scheduled tax from “Breathers”.  At the time of this writing the tax rate being considered is one tenth of a cent per exhale.  This may seem  a paltry sum until one calculates that the average adult respiratory rate is about 15 times per minute or 900 times per hour.  Do a little math and the average cost of exhaling in California will be about 90 cents an hour or $21.60 a day.

This tax can be avoided by simply no longer exhaling and residents and visitors can take comfort in the fact that inhaling is still free.  At least for now.

For the Second phase of this battle consideration is being given to the fact that methane is also a contributor to Global Climate Change and it is the responsibility of all of us to pay our Fair Share Tax in the battle to monitor and reduce the release of this gas into California’s breathable air resources.

It is also a scientific fact that flatulence is a major contributor to the release of methane into the atmosphere. Therefore, California is creating a new agency to monitor and tax the unwanted release of this gas.  To fund this Board and its employees a new source of revenue will be created through the establishment of a Flatulence Air Resource Tax. (FARTax)

Under development is a new monitoring device to be worn by all residents and visitors on the rear upper portion of the thigh which will sense, tabulate and report to the Board all releases of methane gas by the wearer.

The Board will then forward this information to the California Franchise Tax Board who will be responsible for billing and collecting the approved tax.  At this writing a rate of $1.00 per release is under consideration.  Think of it as an exhaust gas tax.

Taxpayers can avoid this tax by simply not releasing any methane gas through the monitored process.

The State agency for this Board is reporting some difficulty in recruiting, hiring and training workers who will be responsible for checking and monitoring individuals at random to be sure they are wearing the methane release and sound monitoring device and that it is working properly.

Formal announcement of this new Fair Share Tax and implementation of monitoring should be released through the media within the next 60 days.

All tax rates are subject to review and increase depending on Battlefield Assessment Reports from the ongoing War against Global Climate Change and subject to review and correction by former Vice President Al Gore.

What could possibly go wrong?

Just for fun.

Bob Bandy – December 2024