Flat tax? Ha-ha!

A handful of presidential candidates, past and present, have advocated and run on one kind of flat tax plan or another. They all make it sound like a promise: “If I become president, I’ll institute a flat tax.”

Nope. The only place in the Constitution where the word “tax” appears is in Article I, which outlines the responsibilities and powers of Congress — the House and the Senate. The president has nothing to do with levying and collecting taxes. A president might propose a tax plan to Congress, but they’re not obliged to listen. (It should be noted that a few constitutional amendments address taxation, but none give any power to the president.)

What these candidates should promise is, “If I become president, I’ll ask Congress to consider my plan for a flat tax.” And what Congress will probably say is, “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha . . .”

Something for nothing

Have you ever heard a well-off person badmouth someone who’s poor for expecting something for nothing? — things like food stamps, Medicaid, etc.?

Have you ever heard a well-off person complain about taxes? Well, folks like this must expect something for nothing too.

I don’t hate taxes. I don’t mind them at all. I don’t expect something for nothing. I know things like schools, public safety, roads, cost money. I either use such things or have used them at one time or another. I benefit from all these things, so I don’t mind helping to pay for them.