Time: Mon Mar 17 05:37:21 1997
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Mon, 17 Mar 1997 05:22:18 -0700 (MST)
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 05:24:58 -0800
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar]
Subject: SLS: L&J: [SacredBull] Letter to the Taxman (fwd)
<snip>
>>================================================================
>>SacredBull Newsservice mail list: Because Ridicule is a Weapon.
>>================================================================
>>
>>LETTER TO THE TAXMAN
>>FROM A PRODUCTIVE AMERICAN
>>
>>Dear Mr. Taxman,
>>
>>It's Sunday, and I have chosen to spend my day of rest compiling
>>a contribution to your education. I know that your agency has
>>already invested quite a sum of tax money in your training, but
>>there are some things they forgot to tell you in those seminars.
>>You learned to recognize and harass a certain category of people,
>>and how to encourage others to "blow the whistle" on them. But
>>they kept the big secret, the fact that we in the underground
>>economy are winning.
>>
>>Once upon a time, I was an employee, and my employer withheld
>>taxes from my wages, and paid insurance and many other
>>expenses because I worked for him. He passed these costs on
>>to our customers in the form of higher prices for our service. I did
>>my job, and I was paid well, but I punched out after work and went
>>bowling, and didn't worry about the details. When I had worked for
>>him for several years, it became clear that the company's outgo
>>was exceeding it's income, and we were not competitive in the
>>market for our particular service. My employer told me, "I am going
>>to close this business in about six months, and lay off all the
>>workers. Make the arrangements you think necessary."
>>
>>Being young and naive, I thought, Okay, I have a marketable skill
>>here, I'll start my own business and contact customers directly.
>>So I went to all the proper agencies and found that their requirements
>>were more than I could meet. Licensing, certification, insurance,
>>quarterly reporting, now I can see why my employer is going belly
>>up. I asked a couple of them, "Why is this so complicated?" and
>>they told me, "We have a duty to protect the public."
>>
>>From me, who didn't even steal cookies as a child? I was massively
>>frustrated for several weeks as I tried to follow the twisting trail of
>>requirements and regulations, and got farther and farther from
>>my goal.
>>
>>Fortunately for me, one of our major customers said, "Look, I like
>>your work, and I have a project you can do for cash. It won't last
>>forever, but it will keep you in groceries while you decide what to
>>do." I accepted his offer, completed the project, and he referred
>>me to another cash project. One thing led to another, and pretty
>>soon other referrals led to as much work as I could handle, and I
>>could charge about half the going rate. I enjoyed the respect and
>>esteem of the people I worked for, they were pleased with my work,
>>and if they considered me "shady" or a criminal, they would not
>>have referred me to their friends and relatives. I still love my husband
>>and kids, I'm still kind to my dog, I haven't hurt anyone, and yet you
>>want to punish me.
>>
>>It occurred to me once or twice that I could be watching Oprah and
>>eating bon-bons while drawing welfare or unemployment checks
>>as a "bona fide indigent". While that course of action is encouraged
>>by the state, and it may gain the approval of people like you, I could
>>not stomach it. I have a strong urge to succeed or fail on my own
>>merits, and though I had paid substantial amounts into government
>>funds for unemployment, Social Security and the like, I never have,
>>and by the grace of God never will, take a single penny of public
>>assistance. It is a point of pride with me, and others may make their
>>own decision, but it's a crazy thing that someone who chooses not
>>to work in favor of sucking up tax money is rewarded, while a person
>>who works hard and honestly is prosecuted for doing so without
>>paying for the permission of the state.
>>
>>Mr. Taxman, the economy you live in is artificial, in that some of its
>>members are paid what they do not earn, and others earn what they
>>are not paid. When you get your car repaired, for example, you are
>>charged for many things that are not car repair. Parts of your money
>>go to places and people that you have no idea of, and might not like
>>if you did. When I get my car repaired by an "under the table"
>>mechanic, I pay less, and I am confident that all of the price will
>>benefit the guy who fixed my car. He might buy tools with it or pay
>>his electric bill, but he has earned it; it won't go into the pockets
>>of fat men in suits, and it won't go as foreign aid to Bangladesh or
>>buy a $600 toilet seat.
>>
>>For your information, the underground economy is growing at a fairly
>>healthy rate. I know you don't like that, because no one has any
>>records of its existence. Tough toenails. It is not as convenient to
>>operate in as the official economy, as an under-the-table worker
>>must be careful, and only work for those he trusts. In case of
>>non-payment by the customer, he/she has no legal recourse, and
>>so must arrange his/her affairs to reduce that possibility. We do
>>not have fringe benefits, or paid vacations, or a company car. But
>>more and more people are participating. Why do you think this could
>>be? Is the general public becoming a band of outlaws, or are they
>>losing their faith in the government's management of the economy?
>>My personal opinion is that the government is failing to perform its
>>legitimate function and at the same time pushing their noses into
>>everything else, and the governed are withdrawing their consent.
>>How ironic; if you kept taxes to a fair and reasonable level, I'd
>>probably pay up, because it wouldn't be worth my time and
>>effort to avoid them.
>>
>>You say that I and those like me have cost our country billions
>>each year in lost revenue. You presume that paying billions in
>>taxes is more desirable than circulating that amount in the private
>>sector for goods and services. (I'm sure you are quite knowledgeable
>>in your particular field of expertise, but your implied economic theory
>>leaves something to be desired.) Where is your supporting evidence?
>>Does the government have a better economic track record than the
>>free market and private industry? Once again, Mr. Taxman, producers
>>of goods and services earn profits from their willing customers, whereas
>>the government taxes revenue from it's citizens. Which is more fair, or
>>better for society?
>>
>>Your "loss" is similar to the $100 "loss" to a mugger when I foil his
>>plans and get away with my wallet. It's a loss for him, but I keep what
>>I earned. If I decide to paint my own house, am I stealing from those
>>who paint houses for a living? If I grow vegetables in my garden, does
>>the Safeway produce department show a "loss" for that amount? Of
>>course not, because they have no prior claim to my earnings. What
>>is the difference, then, if I decide to provide for my own retirement
>>and unemployment rather than leave it in the hands of the state?
>>If you deny this, you must argue the difficult position that the
>>government, because it is the government, has a legitimate moral
>>claim on whatever portion of my earnings it declares appropriate.
>>Might makes right, in other words, and historically, that's a pretty
>>shaky foundation on which to build a society.
>>
>>Even you must admit that most of your efforts are directed at hard
>>working, motivated people who merely want to earn a living and
>>support their families. They are not drug dealers and professional
>>thieves, they don't harm others, they provide necessary goods and
>>services to their communities. In fact their major difference from
>>their licensed counterparts is that they have decided not to comply
>>with administrative, and sometimes unconstitutional, statutes. Your
>>position is that good people become bad when they decide to pocket
>>the cash instead of running it through their books (or not to keep
>>books at all). Unfortunately for you, their customers disagree, and
>>willingly take a discount that frees them from having to pay your salary.
>>
>>Many senior citizens are depending on Social Security for part or
>>all of their retirement income, and you dislike the idea that I am no
>>longer paying into that fund. But it is clear that the Social Security
>>system is nothing more than a giant chain-letter scheme made
>>mandatory by the federal government in the complete absence
>>of constitutional authority. Legislative fraud - always has been,
>>is now, always will be. It is unfortunate that the senior citizens
>>went along with it, but that fact does not give you or them a valid
>>claim on my earnings. I must say that I'd hate to see them starve
>>or freeze, and if I thought they were, I'd personally buy them a bag
>>of groceries or a drum of heating oil. But I won't let you confiscate
>>what is mine on their behalf.
>>
>>I would like very much to receive a reply to this letter, and to
>>discuss these matters with you further, but unfortunately, I don't
>>feel I can trust you with my name and address. I imagine you
>>will rush this letter to your high tech crime lab so they can use
>>their secret decoder rings on it, and I have accidentally omitted
>>the details that would make it traceable. However, I think your
>>viewpoint is founded on a mistaken premise, and developed on
>>a misconception of government authority. Fortunately, I don't
>>need your business; I have many satisfied customers who see
>>things differently...
>> Sincerely,
>> (oops!)
>>
>>NOTE: Permission to reprint freely granted.
>>
>>
>>================================================================
>>This article orginally appeared in the SacredBull mailing list.
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>>================================================================
<snip>
========================================================================
Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S. : Counselor at Law, federal witness
email: [address in tool bar] : Eudora Pro 3.0.1 on Intel 586 CPU
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