Remember Tax Day on Election Day
Another tax filing deadline has come and gone and it has me painfully aware of how much of my money is given to the government in the form of taxes. With programs like TuboTax it becomes so easy to focus on the little box at the top which keeps a running total of your refund that you forget you actually paid the government a significant chunk of change. Ask five people you know how much they paid in taxes this year and I bet they don’t know the figure but I’m sure they could recite the amount of their refund check to the nearest dollar.
Why do I bring this up? Because 2008 is an election year and I think it is important to remember that April 15th feeling on November 4th. In fact, I’ve heard of two ideas I believe would have a large impact on our government. First, move tax day to October 15 or there abouts. Second, discontinue the practice of employers withholding taxes from employees paychecks thereby forcing everyone to have to write a big check on tax day. That would make you think twice before you pull the lever for a candidate. More importantly politicians would be more likely to become accountable for their spending. This of course is a pipe dream as the politicians who make the laws would obviously not be on board with this.
Meanwhile candidates are telling us we don’t deserve tax cuts, that we are not taxed enough, especially “the rich”. I came across a blog post on current candidates plans to raise taxes and it includes a little parable titled “Barstool Economics” that I found funny and poignant. (If you have some time and really want a laugh, check out Leo’s comments following the parable.)
So to recap, please remember April 15th on November 4th.
There is No Debate
We have seen numerous debates this campaign season with more to come. These are not debates as much as they are political theater, i.e. the CNN/YouTube “debates”, and they do very little in raising the public political discourse.
If you would like to hear real debates about important, challenging issues I recommend the Intelligence Squared-US debates. Leading thinkers on each side of a single issue are pit against each other in an Oxford-style debate format. Debates start with opening arguments where each panelist is given a chance to present their case for or against the resolution at hand. Questions then follow from the moderator as well as the audience. Finally, each panelist is allowed a brief closing statement. What I find interesting is that the audience votes whether they are for, against or undecided before the debate and then again after. The more persuasive and thus victorious side is identified by noting the changes in the before and after votes. Some of the recent debate topics have included “It’s Time to End Affirmative Action”, “Spreading Democracy in the Middle East is a Bad Idea”, and “Russia is Becoming Our Enemy Again”. These are all difficult issues that we are currently confronted with and that is what makes these debates intriguing.
I urge you to check out the Intelligence Squared-US website. NPR actually hosts the recorded audio of the debates which can be listened to or download. I find that it is perfect listening for my daily commute. Once you listen to a couple of debates you will be hooked.
[Political cartoon by Davide Horsey published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
Get with Mitt!
I have decided that I am going to vote for Mitt Romney in my state’s upcoming Republican primary. I believe that I have reviewed each candidate thoroughly enough to determine which one best aligns with my positions on what I believe are the most important issues for our country. I also looked at the person behind the candidate since it requires more than just ideology to become an effective leader. I have listed the criteria I used in selecting a candidate and have included how I believe Mitt stacks up against them. Read more