Subsidized By My Taxes? Stay Home Tuesday
By Brian Yates (11/01/04)
Around Election Day two years ago, I was hung in effigy around campus for proposing a unique plan – if you receive more money back from the government than you pay to the government; you should not be able to vote. Now, two years later, with Election Day only about 48 hours away, I have acceded to the request of the American people. So many of you have told me, “man, that was a great column,” over the last few years and asked to see it again that, back by popular demand, here is a somewhat revised form of “Don’t Pay Taxes? Then Don’t Vote.”
If you and I both work for a particular company; you own stock and I don’t, would it be considered unfair when I did not get to vote at the annual stockholders meetings? Of course not. You own a part of the company and I don’t, therefore you ought to have more of a say than myself. Well why then, can someone who does not pay taxes vote with no problem? I pay taxes; I own a share in the country. But if you don’t pay taxes, then why should you be able to vote?
Let me put this more bluntly: if I subsidize your existence; then don’t dare attempt to make decisions for me. Now allow me to throw in a quick disclaimer here…if you’re receiving a Social Security check; then you remain eligible to vote. You’ve paid taxes all your life and now are simply reaping the benefits (Yes, I’m laughing too here, seniors) from handing over chunks of your paycheck. If you’re on welfare, please stay home on Election Day. Here’s a thought: instead of attempting to cancel out my shareholder vote…go find a job!
Come on, Yates. How do you know they’re going to cancel out your informed and intelligent vote? Think about it: a person living off welfare relies on the government for their existence. So when it comes time for elections, who are these people going to vote for? Of course, they’re going to vote for whichever candidate promises to continue to increase their slice of the pie. In other words, the liberal candidate; the Democrat. We’ve already built a Robin Hood society – or maybe I should say, Robbing Hood.
Throughout this election cycle, think about where the Democrats are expending the most effort at getting out the vote. In poor areas of the country. Why? Because they know what I just told you is the truth. People who have to pay taxes are less likely to be saying, “Oh please, Senator Kerry, please tax the hell out of me to give to those of us unable (ahem, unwilling) to get a job.” People like me are saying, “Get your paws out of my pocket!”
Now some of you are likely thinking, well sure, Yates, but these people don’t vote anyway. Fine, I’ll give you that most of them don’t. But all it takes is one to cancel out my vote, and again, if I pay for you then you should accept the decisions that I help to make through my efforts at voting.
This coming Tuesday I’ll be swaggering into precinct K105 at Noe Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky to make my choice in this year’s presidential election. It would be greatly appreciated if those of you who have food on your table because I help to pay for it would just stay at home. Go ahead and call me mean; just let me and the millions like me who have to fund your programs make the decisions on how these programs are run.
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