Common Sense: Whose Money is it Anyway?

Assuming you have finished filing your taxes, I want you to do something.

I want you to look at your return. I want you to look at it closely. Don't look at your refund, if you're lucky to get one. I want you to take a look at the line just above it - what you paid the government.

I bet it's a staggering figure.

The National Taxpayers Union estimates that most Americans will end up paying a third "or more" of what they make to the government. I'm including federal, state, and local taxes. Throw in real estate taxes and the figure is actually closer to 40 percent and up to half or more for high-income individuals.

Think about that.

A third — at a minimum — of what you make goes to taxes. A third.

Two-thirds to you. A third to them. Two-thirds for you to pay your bills. A third to them to pay theirs.

Which begs the question: whose bills are more important — yours or theirs?

I figure I've gone on and on about this, so let me cut to the simplest argument for a tax cut.

It leaves them with less. It leaves you with more.

Think about that the next time you are scrounging for the money for you kid's education. Or your family's mortgage payment. Or maybe just your family's vacation.

And I don't care how rich you are or how poor you are. Just that you are a tax payer. And by my math, you pay too much.

For years, we have all learned to do with less as the government takes more. I say it is high time we flip things around and demand of our government — you try doing with less. You try making your budget, just like we've tried making ours.

And I don't care if the economy's weak, or strong, or in-between. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get our own money back. Quite the opposite.

Now, more than ever, it's high time Uncle Sam jump through hoops for us.

Because it's not his money and it never was.

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