Should voter approved taxes require approval by more than half the number of people that voted in the most recent presidential election?

[KelleyNice]

I love talking to my grandfather. He told me, when he was a child sales tax was 2% and the zoo was free. Now the sales tax is 10% and entering the zoo cost $18.00.

Voter turnout during special elections (19%) compared to general elections (44%), and the pass rate is much higher during special elections.

Arkansas has the third highest combined state and local sales tax rate in the nation at 9.43%. One reason for that is special elections. In 1981, the Arkansas legislature began allowing cities and counties to increase their sales tax rate and many did. 83% of the time, these increases are voted on during special elections. Special elections are usually single issue elections that happen outside of regular voting at a primary or general election.

How important are special elections to the increases in taxes? Special elections to increase the sales tax have much lower turnouts and much higher pass rates than votes held at a primary or general election. Specifically, voter turnout was 44% in general elections, 26% in primary elections, and 19% in special elections. The pass rate for these increases in the sales tax rate was 45% in general elections, 56% in primary elections, and 77% in special elections. It’s easy to see why Arkansas’s sales tax rate is so high, since 82% of all sales tax votes they collected occurred in a special election.

[MikeInHawaii]

This is an example of tyranny of the majority. Nearly half the people in the country pay no income taxes. About 9% get the Earned Income Tax Credit, or other refundable credits, and get refunds of more than they paid in.

Ask people if they want to tax only income above $300,000 and at an 80% rate, and of course it will pass overwhelmingly.

As elitist as the property requirements to vote sounds today, the rationale behind it was the stake in society theory. The main form of taxation in colonial times was the property tax. They only wanted those with skin in the game voting.

Now, I can work 80 hour weeks, and a fourth generation welfare recipient, who contributes zero to society, can vote to redistribute my income to herself.

[Snakeyes7]

As someone who has voted before, they do ask you about wanting to raise taxes. The problem is they write it all in this legal mumbo-jumbo that very few people understand so they will be more likely to agree with it. It's quite disgusting actually.

[SixFootSexy]

The biggest and most insidious tax of all: Inflation.

The IRS has been stockpiling ammo: https://floridianpress.com/2022/07/matt-gaetz-introduces-the-disarm-the-irs-act/

[MikeInHawaii]

Yep! Through inflation, you can have your money buried in your back yard in Mason jars, and the government can steal a percentage of it without touching it. If those Mason jars were buried about a hundred years ago, about 97% to 98% would have been stolen.

[Guy__]

"I'm from Arkansas" is the excuse that'll let you get away with anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBs6nIw2EHs

Anyway, imagine some people say gender is a social construct... but somehow money is not? Money is a religion, incongruous with peace and freedom.
With faulty belief systems about money, no one can escape from the puppet masters of this world.

[Guy__]

Elections don't matter. Presidents are puppets.

[Sixgunsound]

The crux of the issue here, is that the majority of people who vote aren’t paying any taxes, so it doesn’t cost them anything to vote themselves more stuff that they aren’t paying for.

[MikeInHawaii]

Exactly!

[Avicenna]

It’s a good thought, but tax rates are only part of the fiscal puzzle, and can’t be viewed in a vacuum. Now, putting tax rates and entire budgets to referendums together would be a capital idea.

[Whatever2929292]

I never vote to increase taxes. NEVER!!! Sorry. I render unto ceasers what is Ceasers but

[MikeInHawaii]

A few years, Caesar and I haven’t exactly seen eye to eye on precisely how much rendering I needed to be doing, and Caesar doth auditith me!

[Adaeva]

I am sure, taxes are too high. I know sales tax is too high.

[DWornock]

Absolutely. That is a major problem. Politicians hold special tax increase election that few people know about. We need elections to roll back tax increases.

[MannyFrs]

well Kelley its nice that you asked this question! Its very nice of you! ok whelp have a nice day! :-)

[Anonymous]

If everyone over $100,000 sent in 15% to taxes and everyone under paid $0 taxes there would be more than enough money to run the country, way more than they have now.

[KelleyNice]

That would would not even be 1/3rd of annual federal spending.

[joeldalton]

You know you can send a check to the IRS, right now. Nothing’s stopping you.

[Shamalien]

It should require more approval from the dudes who pay

[Sixgunsound]

The inventors of democracy restricted voting powers to people who had something to lose and would suffer the consequences. That seems like the best system to me. it doesn’t function in a few for all where you have people who aren’t paying or fighting in the wars voting themselves free stuff and for their neighbors to go die overseas while they get to sit home and watch it on TV.

[Shamalien]

@Sixgunsound yeah seriously

[joeldalton]

Only if we put a caveat that if you don’t pay taxes, you can’t vote.

[KelleyNice]

That would violate the 24th Amendment.

[joeldalton]

I’d be fine with not letting anyone who doesn’t pay taxes vote at all.

[OddBeMe]

Did your granddaddy also say the top income tax rate was 90% back in his day?

[KelleyNice]

He was maybe age 10 at the time. He paid sales tax so he knew what they were.

[RuthlessAggression]

yeah