Are you worried about looming federal budget deficits? Think Americans should pay more for all we ask of Uncle Sam? Then perhaps you'd be interested in the "Tax Me More" bill introduced in Pennsylvania. (You can learn about it at TaxMeMore.org: "The official website of undertaxed Pennsylvanians.")
The bill is a tongue-in-cheek initiative spearheaded by Republican Rep. Jeff Coleman in response to Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal to raise income, beer, and phone taxes while lowering property taxes. The Tax Me More bill would allow citizens, if they think they aren't paying enough taxes, to make donations to the government.
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee first implemented the idea in November 2001 in response to legislators who wanted to raise taxes. According to Huckabee's spokesman Jim Harris, the governor said, "Put your money where your mouth is, and if you feel like you're not paying enough, then go ahead and write a check." The fund has collected between $2,000-$3,000 so far.
No big surprise. Americans hate paying taxes. According to the Tax Foundation, Americans pay more in taxes than they do for food, shelter, and clothing combined. Only since this past decade have taxes exceeded the cost of basic necessities.
The good news is that it's taking fewer working days to cover the tax bill. "Tax Freedom Day" -- the day when Americans will have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill for the year -- will be celebrated on April 19 in 2003. (In other words, every penny earned from Jan. 1 to April 19 this year will go to taxes.)
April 19 was Tax Freedom Day in 2002, but eight days earlier than in 2001, and 11 days earlier than in 2000. You can thank the tax cuts already implemented and a slower economy.
But, here's the paradox: Though we want to pay fewer taxes, we want the government to do more. We want Social Security strengthened, Medicare benefits increased, the country to be defended, and future Enrons to be prevented.
What to do? Start by being an informed taxpayer. You can learn a lot from an excellent compilation courtesy of "Where Your Tax Dollar Goes" from Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Encarta online. For example, did you know that Social Security, defense, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest payments on the national debt accounted for three-quarters of all federal spending? If you want lower taxes, are you willing to cut the budgets on those programs?
Learn, write your Congressperson, and -- if so moved -- make a donation to Uncle Sam.
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