"We have lost our ambition, our imagination, and our willingness to do the things that built the Golden Gate Bridge" - Barack Obama (aka President Malaise)
RISHELL ON TAXES: SOUNDS LIKE KARL MARX
By Greg L | 13 July 2006 | 50th HOD District | 1 Comment
Jeanette “Moonfruit” Rishell has an interesting position on taxes. When they’re not actually taxes, she’s against them. When they are actually taxes, she wants to raise them. To wit:
“Drivers in our community pay over $2100 each year in delays, car mainteance, gas, and increased risk for accidents due to our inadaquate transportation network. As Delegate, I’ll make sure we eliminate this tax so residents in our community can make better use of their money.”
In the context of a legislator who has the power to approve or repeal laws, a tax is a compulsory taking of the wealth of a citizen in order to fund government operations which is enforced using the power of the state. Does she really believe that by going to Richmond she would vote on how much auto maintenance you must perform? Let’s hope not, but this confusion between the risk of auto accidents with actual taxation such as the Virginia State Income Tax demonstrates a pretty shocking misunderstanding of the nature of taxation and the responsibilities and powers of legislators.
For the moment, however, let’s just assume this was campaign hyperbole and see what else may inform Ms. Moonfruit about taxation. maybe a look at her Social Justice Committee’s position on taxation will show a more clear picture:
In the upcoming few months, Congress will be considering a number of tax proposals that would deepen our federal deficit by trillions of dollars and reward only the wealthiest members of our society.
The UUA seeks an economically just society and world in which government and private institutions promote the common economic good and all people have equal opportunity to care for themselves and their families. Therefore, we call on our elected officials to create a federal tax system that raises sufficient revenue to meet our shared priorities and invest in our common future as a nation. Such a tax system would call on individuals and corporations to contribute their fair share, based on ability to pay.
OK, this clears things up a bit. She is a complete Marxist whackjob — it’s just a rephrasing of “to each according to their needs, from each according to their abilities” stupidity. The position paper continues to decribe how good the Alternative Minimum Tax is, how it’s important to keep the tax rate on capital gains as high as possible, and how socially responsible it is to have a death tax.
This puts into better context her prior statements regarding taxation, as reported in the Gainesville Times:
In order to fund transportation costs, Rishell said all options should be on the table. While she said she wants to keep taxes low, her campaign manager, Matt Harrison, said a .25 percent income tax increase on the “wealthiest” taxpayers, and the addition of title fees on vehicle purchases, are all viable options. He called the increases in title fees “very minor revenue enhancements.”
If it’s actually a tax, raise it. If it’s not actually a tax, call it an outrage. Kooky.
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Richmond has already voted on how much auto maintenance you must perform.
The safety inspection.
I don’t consider the emissions inspection as something Richmond is responsible for since the EPA mandated it, as far as I know.