Taxing Sin

With more than a Trillion dollar deficit and with many states pondering over more red ink than they’ve ever seen, it is only a matter of time before our sins become taxed far beyond the use of alcohol certain amusements and entertainment venues, and tobacco. Yes our real vices, the ones no one will talk about in public much less in mixed company. The subject has been broached with guarded lightheartedness in California where everything, yes everything is on the table when it comes to raising revenue. However, even the consummate liberals there have decided not to go there, at least for now.

Nevada is the only state in the union that legalizes prostitution. It is a revenue stream for them, but falls far short of sales tax collections even on a bad day. Several states, notably Oregon have all but legalized Marijuana, but so far haven’t figured out a way to control it to the point that it can be successfully taxed. Prostitution and Illicit drugs however aren’t our biggest sins, even though every pulpit in every church would have you believe otherwise. No, our biggest sin is one we don’t think about even for a moment, and most of us have a brush with it every day. We use the internet for some personal reason not related to work, or our business, or our family life, or for any legitimate purpose other than to satisfy ourselves. Regardless of where we venture on the World Wide Web it is a gluttonous adventure to be sure and it is soon to become the biggest cash cow that Federal and State governments can put their hands on. We’re all addicted and they know it and we’re all sinners and they know it, and we’ll all pay for it and they know that too.

Your income tax may not raise a dime if you make less than $200,000 if you’re a single person or $250,000 if you’re a couple. The cost of cooling and heating your home, driving your automobile, purchasing alcohol and tobacco, and in the not too distant future your access to be able to access everything you know is going up and in a big way. Everything that is associated with these costs with respect to manufacturing and delivery of products and services will be going up as well. Your food and your clothing will cost more and so will your toilet paper. We have all of this to look forward to without factoring in inflation.

I have an idea here. How about we all try to sin a little less, spend more time with each other and our families, and pay a lot more attention to what is going on in Washington, DC. If you do not know what is going on there you need to learn about it from more than one source (yes that means hearing “both sides of the issues”) of information, rather than allow yourself to be manipulated by a national media that has done nothing but provide wrapping paper what they perceive are the gifts provided by the current administration and Congress. Make a choice to be your own person, to be an American first, not some hyphenated politically correct robot. We did not win the war that gave us the right to live under this constitutionally limited republic by sitting back and waiting for King George to send us an invitation. Get off your ass! Go fight for your rights! Make a difference for you and your family! Stop being a whipping boy for the man! Be mad as hell and not take it anymore! Don’t let them tax your sin!!!!