Liberals love the income tax; it's where they get their power over everyone and the money with which they can line their pockets and direct social & economic change in our country. Their mantra has become "paying one's fair share" despite the obvious evidence to the contrary in their policies. The upper income earners in this country pay the largest majority of income taxes received by the federal government. It's undeniable although the liberals are very good at denying facts and getting people to believe them. In 'honor' of April 15, let's take a look at the income tax in this country.

The modern day income tax began in February of 1913 when Congress passed the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution, thanks to the administration of Republican William Howard Taft. The amendment had come to life in 1909 when the Republican controlled House of Representatives passed the amendment on a 318 to 14 vote. I wish I could thank those 14 for standing up for us.

The first tax bill came from the Woodrow Wilson administration. Wilson had made the income tax a key issue in his campaign, while the Republican party platform was silent on the income tax in 1912 but championed it in later years. A significant portion of the Republicans in 1912 wanted a pro-income tax plank in the party platform but it was defeated.

So now we've had 102 years of income tax. In 1913 the top tax bracket was 7%, with a range beginning at 1%. Can you imagine having to only pay 1%? Now our top tax rate is 39.6% with a minimum rate of 10%. The top tax bracket threshold was $11.8 million (in 2015 dollars) while today if you earn more than $464,850 you pay the top rate. Total tax revenue in that first year was $16.9 billion while today it will exceed $3 trillion and we'll be at $4 trillion by several estimates next year.

The standard deduction for a family was $94,837 while today it's only $12,600. And can you imagine there were only 400 pages of tax laws?! Today there are almost 74,000. There is no way anyone can honestly say they know the tax code or could enforce it evenly.

IF the liberals were truly fighting for the middle class, as they claim to be, then why don't we go back to a standard family deduction of $94,000? Then they really would be getting the 'rich' to pay their 'fair share' and if we went back to a tax bracket range of 1%-7%, the middle class would be keeping a huge chunk of their paycheck. Then they could likely afford to send their kids to college, pay their bills, take vacations, and live the life that we desire.

And the economy would take off; small businesses would be opening left and right, taking people off of the public dole by creating jobs. But instead we have a system that punishes success, that makes it difficult to succeed in the early years especially. That takes capital out of the hands of the middle class and encourages big businesses to expand, merge and drive small competitors out of business. I was talking to a client/rancher this week and they are worried about leaving their ranch to their kids when they pass away. The taxes could be a huge burden for the heirs to bear, forcing them to borrow money to pay them and put an additional expense on an already strained budget.

Richard Byrd, in 1913 the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, gave a prediction of what he imagined the new income tax system would become, turns out he was spot on. He said:
"A hand from Washington will be stretched out and placed upon every man's business; the eye of the Federal inspector will be in every man's counting house. The law will of necessity have inquisitorial features, it will provide penalties, it will create complicated machinery. Under it men will be hailed into courts distant from their homes.

Heavy fines imposed by distant and unfamiliar tribunals will constantly menace the tax payer. An army of Federal inspectors, spies and detectives will descend upon the state. Who of us who have had knowledge of the doings of the Federal officials in the Internal Revenue service can be blind to what will follow?"

Boy, was he prophetic.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.