Unfair is Being Fair

The blog posting “Spread Your Own Power and Wealth” on the Powerlineblog.com is intended for the more conservative reader. The author seems to know what he is talking about giving exact evidence from the IRS, and historical background of taxes in the United States. His argument is about the proposed tax raise that Obama is campaigning about. Obama proposes an increase on income tax for the wealthy. The problem is the top 5% paid almost half of the income taxes for 2006 and the bottom 50% paid virtually no income taxes. Also knowing that the poor will always out number the rich, the constitution put barriers in place to “protect personal property from unjust confiscation.” So from the beginning of our country until 1913 the only taxes were indirect, such as tariffs, and duties. However, in 1913 the sixteenth amendment was passed allowing federal taxation of income. Now the question remains why the majority hasn’t taken more money from the rich. The author accredits this to the idea that the barriers to protect individual property erected by the founding fathers still work. The other reason is because a large number of Americans think of themselves as rich or have the ability to become rich, thus keeping them from trying to attack the wealthy. I agree with this author, the idea of taking something away from someone just doesn’t seem right. The easiest way I have been taught to think about this in terms more relevant to me is by linking it to grades. Let’s assume that you work your hardest on a test, study every night and take great notes. Now let’s say you get a 97 on your test. Then let’s look at another kid, and say that for some fault not of his own, such as not being able to understand the material or having a learning disability, takes the test and gets a 59. Well he obviously needs help so that teacher takes 17 of the points that the top person got on his or her test and gives them to the person that got a 59. Now you have two people one with an 80 and the other with a 76. Most people would find this horrible, saying the person should have tied harder; you earned the 97 you should get to keep it. But the fact is this is exactly what Obama wants to do with the wealth. So why is it ok to do with money but not grades? I understand that there are people that did not earn their wealth, but some like my dad were born a farmer and worked hard to get where he is and to have people take it away from him and give it to others because it “isn’t fair” that he has more money than someone else bugs me.