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MEMBER DIARY

First it’s Healthcare, then they came for our Children

Now that Chief Justice John Roberts has set a limiting principle on what products, services and behaviors government can tax — absolutely everything — it’s appropriate to reflect on our freedoms and consider what future taxes can be levied on the great unwashed to improve a horridly unfair and unjust society.

  1. Children.
    The United States faces an overpopulation crisis. For each productive, erudite college professor living in New York or Berkeley, there are at least four carbon-emitting, moon pie-munching bumpkins doing something grubby — like farming, yuck — in Iowa. Common decency dictates the United State not yet impose a one-child-per-family policy or forced abortions on its citizenry the way our friends do in China. (Much like Joe Biden, I fully understand and won’t second guess those practical methods of population control. Hopefully we’ll all evolve to the point one day when “forced sterilization” isn’t considered “controversial.”) Practicality then dictates a tax on any child beyond the first two born to couples or single mothers. If you want to have that third child, who is Nancy Pelosi to say you can’t? You’re simply going to have to pay a $25,000 federal Responsible Birth tax to help offset the environmental damage done by that third child’s future carbon output. (Millionaires and billionaires making more than $250,000 a year will be subject to a $50,000 levy; the tax won’t apply to people earning single incomes of $40,000 or combined incomes of less than $80,000. Fair is fair.) Two children should be enough for any family — after all, President and Michelle Obama have two little ones. And fear not, women named Julia with free but ineffective birth control, should you accidentally get pregnant with a third (or first or second) unwanted child, abortions are covered under the Affordable Healthcare Act.
  2. Moving.
    Certain people with financial means are moving away from progressive utopias like California, New York and Illinois and into so-called “low tax” states like Texas. There’s nothing more unpatriotic and greedy than keeping your money away from state government coffers that clearly need the revenue more than you do. As much as California’s politicians would love erecting fences along its borders to keep residents from seeking better economic opportunities in Texas and Mexico, such a move could conjure up misunderstood images of North Korea preventing people from escaping into South Korea by way of mercilessly killing them. (Nobody likes a communist straw man.) But once again, Chief Justice Roberts has shown us the way. There’s nothing, and I mean nothing, preventing both federal and state governments from imposing a one-time Bon Voyage tax on residents who choose to move from one state to another. Let’s say, oh, $50,000. Go right ahead and move, just plan on the IRS paying a housewarming visit asking you to contribute your fair share to the state you’re leaving — for depriving it of money likely earmarked for a hopelessly under-funded pension system — and to the federal government benevolently allowing you to cross state lines.
  3. Energy.
    Climate change is real, people. Pick up any copy of Newsweek (assuming it’s still in print) and you’ll likely find an article explaining how hot summers have zero to do with the season being summer; rather, it’s because of you! You’re still relying on that fuel of the past: oil. Why President Obama still relies on oil to fuel Air Force One and not solar panels installed on its wings, I’ll never know. One way to reduce heating our homes with oil is to completely abandon it in favor of solar panels built onto our rooftops. Energy’s absorbed, electricity’s created and your home is heated! Ah, but installing solar panels is expensive, and it’s much more convenient to heat our home with oil. Such naïve thinking! That’s why Keynes created massive wealth redistribution in the form of tax credits for converting your home’s power supply to solar panels. The government will credit you $5,000 on your next tax return if you hire a unionized professional to install solar panels on your rooftop! No thanks, you might say. It sounds like too much of a hassle. I’ll stick with oil. OK, it’s your choice. But be prepared to pay the IRS that annual $10,000 tax for your continued stubbornness in relying on dirty oil. If you don’t want to pay that tax, simply comply with government will and install solar panels. No fuss, no muss.

Somewhere, David Souter and John Paul Stevens are smiling.

COMMENTS

  • norris

    When the global warming takes place, I will not need heat so I won’t buy oil problem solved.

  • checkmate2012

    no limiting principles in Robert’s ruling. All of the above is very scary and could indeed become reality if we don’t get the progressives out of gov’t.

    I will say a few things on your moving point, as a Texan that one, I am worried that CA and illegals ar moving here en mass to escape taxes or much needed immigration crack down policies from other states.

    It is and has already changed our state for the worse. CA folks move here to escape the leftie policies and low and behold, want to implement their way or the highway way of life. (sorry westcoastpatriett- not you). If they let their politicians get away with ruining their state by being complacent, why should they escape the rath of their results and bring it to bear elsewhere? I don’t argue for a fence to keep them in mind you.

    FL has an impact fee in some areas when you buy a house. I didn’t like it when I bought an investment there but now see the wisdom. In TX, the population here is growing so fast that we don’t have enough water. All moving here should pay a water impact fee that helps build new lakes.

    Your diary about the children are next if we don’t speak up now is timely but may be too late I’m afraid to say. You post is worth pondering the endless horrible possibilities nonetheless.

  • From ME to You

    Indoctrination Center School they HAVE your children’s minds!!

    • Xasteius

      Frankly some of the homeschoolers I’ve met are some of the worst self-righteous hypocrites that I’ve met, but I’m not going to condemn the whole movement for their bad behavior. Ultimately it depends on the parents’ involvement in their children’s lives, whether they go to a public, private, or homeschool.

      • From ME to You

        The schools in the more populous areas were the first to trend liberal (i.e. New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California et.al.). It started in the early fifties and came into full bloom in the eighties. If you were educated after the 80′s in the above mentioned states you were probably fed a steady diet of left wing thought.

        It took longer to infiltrate the “fly-over” states and “end of the road” areas like my home state (Maine). It has arrived here, it just took longer! Just listening to what the current crop of new voters are using as arguments in support/opposition of anything brings to light their ‘indoctrination’ into the socialist system, which was taught to them as truth, masquerading as “The way life should be”.

        The Department of Education was very instrumental is establishing what</b< should be taught and EXACTLY HOW it should be taught. If you don’t believe me ask a teacher what will happen if they stray from the approved teaching methods and if they try to introduce material that runs counter to the approved way of thinking!

  • Matt Manochio

    I try to use humor to get by during tough times, but I will also try to make somewhat cogent points once in a while.