prolesunited Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Fri Oct-08-10 04:32 PM
Original message
Fees for service are a very regressive forms of taxation
Since everyone is talking about fire service, let's use that as an example.
If you live in a mobile home or a mansion, your flat fee is $75 to pay for equipment and the cost of calls. Now, say your mobile home catches on fire. How many trucks and personnel are it going to take to put it out? Now, if the mansion down the road catches fire, how many more trucks and people are they going to need to put it out?
The more traditional structure to pay for such services is property taxes. The larger the home and property, the higher the taxes to protect it. Makes sense since it it a bigger drain on the system.
If you live in a mobile home, chances are your income and property taxes eat up a much greater proportion of you overall income than the millionaire's.
Another example would be waste disposal fees vs. having them included in property taxes.
Bottom line is somebody has to pay for the fire department and other community services. But when we use the model of a service fee, the wealthy are once again getting a nearly free ride.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9281975Why stop there? How about at the grocery store the price of each item depends on your yearly income? How about a combo at McDonald's costs more if you make more and poor people get it for free?
DJ13 (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Fri Oct-08-10 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
1. I cant believe someone unrec'ed this
What Democrat cannot understand regressive taxation?
That's right democrats promote regressive and punitive taxation.
FiveGoodMen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Fri Oct-08-10 04:45 PM
Response to Original message
5. Also, fee isn't spelled the same as tax. So the puke voters aren't pre-outraged toward it.
There is that slight difference that when someone charges a fee for service you get to choose whether you want that service or not. A tax on the other hand you pay up or they send the IRS after you or, you get to serve on Obama's cabinet. No choice at all whether you want that service or not. Plus, most of the times we don't get any actual services for our tax dollars we just hand them over and the GOVT gives them to people who go on cruises and gamble in Vegas.