Aw, Mr. President, Don’t Do Us Like This!

Posted on by Sarah A. Hoyt

Or, In Which I Laugh At My Own Unreasonable Hopes.

For the first time in three weeks, today I woke up (late, because apparently recovering, but want you guys to know I’m still improving) and skimmed the news on my phone and had an instant big mad.

I mean, yeah, okay, Trump is trying to abolish taxes on tips, and social security, and bring back tax breaks for the middle class, and–

And excuse me, but this is so much bullshit. SO MUCH FRESH BULLSHIT.

Before I go on, and so you understand my perspective, I must explain how I came to my opinion about taxes.

When I was very young, I came across a line complaining about taxes in a science fiction book, probably Heinlein and was literally flummoxed. I’d never HEARD anyone do do that.

In fact, when I was little my dad had shown me the deed to grandma’s house which said “by the order of the king” and amounted to, the crown owned all of Portugal, and was giving great great grandma the right to use that land. From what I understand — I could be wrong, I haven’t seen any for decades — today’s deeds are the same, but with the Portuguese Republic granting you that right. And I wasn’t even mad. First because I was about three years old. Second, because I thought that’s how the world worked.

In the same way I’d never heard about anyone complaining about taxes. I mean the taxes for this or that being too high, maybe, but not the idea of having taxes. Because, you know? Taxes were just “how the world works.”

However, perhaps because I didn’t fit in there (I bought Stranger in a Strange Land on the TITLE because that’s what I felt like every day of my life till 14, which is when I bought it) after the bafflement subsided somewhat, I immediately felt like I liked America’s ideas and would like to subscribe to her newsletter.

Because this just made instinctive sense to me.

Of course, then I became American, and found that tough we complain a lot about it, the consarned income tax is seemingly impossible to get rid of.

And, like sand if you go sea bathing au naturel, it gets into everything, chaffs and creates an almighty mess.

It probably costs our economy trillions of dollars just by suppressing the creation of small businesses because — trust me on this — at least in the beginning , it costs you more in time lost and anxiety in preparing taxes than in the taxes themselves. To the point you might have a great idea, but think of how much time you’re going to lose to tax preparation and just give up on the spot. Particularly if you’re doing it on the side after your day job.

Even “just” income taxes if one of you is self-employed can consume months of your life.

It’s horrendous, and evil, and it distorts the economy by making you change what you would naturally do, just to avoid sending all your money to people who deserve none of it and who apparently are sending it to the Tides Foundation, which in turn sends it to BLM to burn American cities. When they’re not sending all the money you earned to the Taliban, that is. Or to Gaza, supposedly to buy condoms, but really to plan and execute “fun” excursions like 10/7.

Is that all they do with our money? No. Though I’m starting to think, if the other places are even half as corrupt as USAID that it’s the majority of what they do with the on average a novel worth of earnings that I send them every year.

I think our founding fathers in 1776 — after that some of them got confused — would consider it intolerable tyranny.

And the fact the taxation is progressive, amounting to the idea that people who work hard and do well inexplicably OWE something to those that didn’t, and should therefore pay more taxes is just repulsive, and should set everyone good American’s teeth on edge.

I am fully willing to admit that it’s possible some form of taxation MIGHT be needed to fund the government. I don’t like to admit it, but I can see it MIGHT be possible. But does it need to be this infinite prying into everyone’s business, this assumption that every American must be assumed to be guilty of fraud, and therefore must keep receipts to prove he isn’t? I do realize the Deep State views all of us as reflections of its own ugly soul, but still.

Point being, I’m not nearly as Libertarian as I used to be (I’m still way more Libertarian than the Libertarian party) so I’m willing to concede that something like a federal sales tax might be needed. I don’t like it. I still think it’s theft. BUT in some cases the best you can do is, while still reminding the government that it’s theft, choose the least harmful type of theft. Which is like choosing the least lethal form of cyanide, but I digress.

My big mad today was therefore caused by waking up to news that President Trump has moved to find a way to stop taxing tips and social security and to restore middle class tax cuts.

I don’t at all object to cutting SOME taxes, though the whole “middle class” thing is annoying, because he should move towards universal tax cuts.

BUT he PROMISED or at least said he would ABOLISH the IRS.

So my first and very immediate thought was “Aw, Mr. President! Don’t do us like that. Don’t go bait and switching on us.”

My husband and some of my saner fan/friends have argued that this is just the start, that he needs to be in a position where he’s shown those still asleep the crying need to repeal the 16th amendment; that if he just abolishes the IRS and income tax in favor of a federal sales tax to be administered by the states, the next Democrat administration will bring both IRS and income tax back under some “national emergency” if they have to kill a lot of bats to get one of those.

And okay, fine, maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s Trump’s reasoning, who knows? It’s probably good reasoning.

But I’m still not happy. I don’t want reasoning. I’m flat out on the floor, kicking and screaming Democrat style. I WAS PROMISED an end to the IRS’s endless intrusion in individuals’ lives, and the random stealing of years of our lives (both in what it took us to earn the money and what it takes us to prepare taxes) in order to send it all to…. apparently the enemies of America.

I don’t think we should have this big of a boot on our backs JUST so we can fund people who beat us, burn our cities, attack our allies and on top of that malign us and try to gaslight us.

Enough is enough. Mr. President? Don’t do us like that. Abolish the IRS and make taxation as non-intrusive as theft can ever be.

Let us leave the idea the government can take whatever it wants from you where it belongs: in Europe, which most of us or our ancestors left well behind.

179 thoughts on “Aw, Mr. President, Don’t Do Us Like This!”

        2. Ripley?

          Bubba-taping a flamer to a M41 for some shake-n-bake?

          Or slagging the safeties on a loading Exo to go Hulk?

          Also not the first time she nuked the protomatter out of someone’s billion credit hardware.

          Liked by 1 person

    2. I am hoping that the audit is to provide proof of irredeemable corruption as the pretext for reducing it to a smoking crater.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Given what has already been uncovered in comparatively more benign (or less malignant, if you prefer that phrasing) places, and what we’ve seen of IRS practices in the past (Lerner’s Permit et al), there’s a pretty good chance DOGE will find that corruption. Also, you don’t want your target fully awake to the looming danger, after all, since the IRS is fully capable of fighting back, hard and dirty.

        Sarah, in a couple of days you have gone from amazed and gratified at what has been done in the first few weeks, to hurt and betrayed over the much bigger lift that isn’t immediately on deck. You’re giving yourself whiplash over your expectations. Give yourself a little breathing room. (Or if you must yield to a depressive swing, do it over fears that swampy judges will bring everything to a crashing halt. We’re finally seeing some of that.)

        Republica restituendae.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I must have failed. I’m not hurt or betrayed. This was supposed to be partly tongue-in-cheek. I’m laughing at myself. I want the IRS abolished so badly but I know it’s not possible. At least not yet.
          I guess all the memes didn’t get the funny across? Or all the stupid on the left made people too sensitive to see the funny?

          Liked by 3 people

          1. I’ll admit to not being sure if it was serious or tongue-in-cheek: the memes could be viewed as supporting either intention. There does need to be some bureaucracy to handle the receipt of revenue. I don’t think the Congress is anywhere near weaning the federal government from the income tax: for now, making it simpler (and, perhaps, beginning to develop a plan to change the source of income to, say, a sales tax)–as well as some of the other changes Trump suggested–is about the best that can be done now.

            Liked by 1 person

          2. It took me 2 1/2 readings to catch what you were throwing. The first pass was one of disbelief as it was seeming you had taken some REALLY good drugs and were not sharing. It didn’t match what you have been showing on the Blog at all.

            So I went back to re-read as I had to have been missing something. Half way through I went and got a fresh cup of coffee, and then tried reading again.

            Ok, now that I have the good stuff I understood it was more of a Common Sense type note. Ohhh, NOW I get it.

            It’s Friday afternoon, why are you making me have to think????

            /bad author, /very bad author /smack nose with rolled up memo

            Liked by 1 person

              1. Hold one second. Ammo, check. Seat belts, check. Crash helmet, check, Stand by for major new world calamity checklist complete

                OK Sarah, you can clean now.

                Liked by 2 people

                  2. And now the university-research industrial complex is outraged that the overhead reimbursements are now reset to 15% rather than “by negotiation”, frequently 30-40+ before.

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            2. This post hit the TBR stack. We’ve been gifted with 36″ of Gorebull warming since Feb 2 and life has been somewhere between interesting and harrowing. At least we haven’t had a major power outage since, er, Tuesday. The ones Thursday night don’t count.

              Protip: Solar powered backup systems suck when the cause is major snow. OTOH, it’s going to be clear for a few days. And single digit (plus and minus) lows along with.

              When it’s sane less crazy, I have to see if the dog kennel can be restored to use after the snowfall mistook the fenced roof for a solid one and collapsed some of the framing. Kat-the-dog Is Not Pleased.

              I’d like some cheese to go along with my whine. :)

              Liked by 1 person

              1. we’re getting a little glow bull warming, but only about 6” worth. On the other hand, we’re about to get another few days of high temperatures in the minus Fahrenheit range again. 🥶

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                1. Oof! We don’t get that low (usually), and the part to fix our backup propane heating stove is on track to be at our mail drop on Monday. Mercifully, it wasn’t that cold outside for the two longer outages, so it didn’t go below 62F in the house.

                  We now have a shiny new Mr. Heater for wayback heating.

                  It felt like we were seeing a weaponized Murphy’s Law.

                  Liked by 1 person

                    1. “Menopause is a horrible curse on a family“

                      –

                      As the wife, no argument from me. My family is lucky. I’m cold during waking hours. Now at night, OTOH, < 60F works for me. Gone from us needing an electric blanket at night for me, but not hubby. To needing one for hubby, and not for me (usually, feet still can get freezing).

                      Liked by 1 person

          3. I don’t recall the exact Article – but the OC said that, beyond duties, taxation had to be proportional for all States by population. Sensible, that meant “no representation without taxation.”

            This is one place where I would be all for the Census to count EVERYONE – illegals, psych cases and drug addicts on the streets, etc.

            I think that Blue States would suddenly ship out the illegals, and get the rest off of the streets and make them at least somewhat productive if they had to collect and pay the head tax on them to the FEDERAL government (they couldn’t skim off that like they do their State and local taxes).

            Ah, here it is: Article 9 – “No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.”

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            1. Ah, here it is: Article 9 – “No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.”

              Which is what the 16th got rid of. Repeal that and you would have Article 9 again.

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              1. The Constitution can be fun to read (for some of us).

                The 16th Amendment did not “get rid of” the Article 9 capitation rule – it made an exception to it to allow taxes to be levied on income. Only on income, not property or other direct taxes.

                Actually, the ONLY part of the Constitution that has ever been “gotten rid of” was the 18th Amendment, repealed explicitly by the 21st.

                Even the “3/5” rule was only rendered moot – not repealed – by the 13th and 14th Amendments. (5/5 are free, so does not apply).

                Note that none of these “got rid of” the “0/5” rule – applying to “Indians not taxed.” That was also rendered moot, but by statute (since 1924, Indians are all subject to Federal taxes, thus are not “Indians not taxed”).

                Constitutionally, the income tax could be eliminated by statute, and a capitation tax imposed. (Or, actually, BOTH types of tax could be Constitutionally imposed. But let’s not think of that or give anyone any ideas, hmm?)

                Now, this tangle does raise questions about a national sales tax – doing that would require the 16th amendment to stay in place, so that it could be argued the tax is on the incomes of the merchants, not their customers. Unless a new amendment is passed at the same time as the 16th is repealed.

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                1. Precise text

                  The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

                  So as Writing Observer notes an exception for Income only. One could repeal it (21st amendment shows that is legal) but that is likely impossible at present (too many blue states, so even IF you can get it through congress it is not getting ratified), Easiest is for Congress to say “no tax is being collected on Income” (i.e. repeal the tax code). That said it ain’t easy just easier than repealing the 16th amendment.

                  Liked by 1 person

                  1. Just struck me looking at that text it would appear to me that the Federal Inheritance Tax (AKA Death Tax) is unconstitutional. Inheritance is not income other than by Humpty Dumpty level word manipulation. Thus it MUST be apportioned across the states and by ennumeration but is not. Therefore as currently practised it is unconstitutional. I suspect I’ve missed something here, any one know if inheritance tax existed pre the 16th amendment? I suspect that Humpty Dumpty level word definition tactics make inheritance income.

                    Liked by 1 person

                    1. Do not get me started on the Death Tax. Oh we are not within miles of the Federal Death Tax. But our state? Grouse, Grumble, Whine.

                      I get told. But don’t you want to share the wealth? Nope, no, not a chance in hell. Sure, maybe. But on OUR and our son’s terms. Not the state.

                      FYI. Got a kick out of all the Yellowstone show after comments on the Death Tax. Comments like “But Montana doesn’t have a death tax!” Reeeeee. Correct. But Federal death tax still applies. The fictional ranch property alone was well over the Federal death tax. Even with a graduated the death tax on that estate (never stated) must have been astronomical. But also a reality check on why working ranches and farms must be incorporated, or irrevocable trusts, and not “family” ownership.

                      Liked by 1 person

                    2. Indeed dep729 family farms are a big issue. Local Ice Cream joint owns over 300 acres to grow fodder and pasture its cows. Ignoring its manufacturing systems, barns and cows the land alone is worth 210 million on the open market. Essentially they own like 75% of the buildable land in our town and large areas in surrounding towns. They are incorporated but in the late 90’s the owner died. I am certain they are incorporated but none of the kids really wanted the job. I think a step grand child offered to run it and the family agreed. Nearly got sold to Hood that would have been a catastrophe.

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                  2. There are more than 12 blue and purple states? Because that is how many states that have to decline to ratify to prevent ratification.

                    Takes 3/4 of the states to ratify amendments (38 of 50, at this point).

                    “IF you can get it through congress“

                    –

                    This might be the bigger problem. Takes 3/4 of them too. There isn’t that big of a majority. OTOH with audits of the IRS some of our usual suspects might get actually caught in the rat trap, and have to resign or expelled. Then the question is 3/4 of the sitting representatives?

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          4. clearly the sarc didn’t come across clearly. I was about to suggest, “Calm down.” <runs> But then Shane basically said the same. I’ve been enjoying the last couple of weeks and may need to seek medical attention soon for raging boner I’ve been suffering every time I check the news

            Liked by 1 person

          5. clearly the sarc didn’t come across clearly. I was about to suggest, “Calm down.” <runs> But then Shane basically said the same. I’ve been enjoying the last couple of weeks and may need to seek medical attention soon for raging boner I’ve been suffering every time I check the news

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          6. I did like the mental image of you on your back, drumming your heels and fists and screaming incoherently like a leftist, turning red in the face. I really enjoyed that….

            Liked by 1 person

            1. I swear I don’t do it, but that was my image of myself when I realized how disappointed I was he wasn’t just saying “The IRS is gone.”
              I shouldn’t have mixed the real objections to income taxes, but I wanted to and….

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        2. <i>”Also, you don’t want your target fully awake to the looming danger, after all, since the IRS is fully capable of fighting back, hard and dirty.”</i>

          If the IRS no longer exists, in any form, it cannot fight back. That will require bringing in someone like Jack Loizeaux’s kids – they’ve been running the biz since Jack passed away – to turn 1111 Constitution into basketball-size rubble. Whether that rubble is left in place as a reminder, or hauled off to build reefs for fish and grass planted to make a park, is a topic for discussion.

          (Loizeaux himself was in D.C. 50 years ago last month to turn the old Capital Parking Garage on New York Ave into rubble, so the folks at CDI know how to find the place. Come to think about it, if Trump & Co. are as successful as we want – and need – them to be – we could keep CDI busy for a couple years. Point being, if we leave the shell of the failed institutions standing the next batch of Dems will find ways to repopulate them, to our great detriment. Merely “burning and salting” will not nearly be enough to prevent reconstituting the cancer.)

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      2. On one hand, the IRS was established by statute, so Congress needs to pass a law disestablishing it to get rid of it.
        The politicians in Congress are vehemently opposed to this.

        On the other hand, without getting rid of the Constitutional Amendment authorizing the income tax, the tax wouldn’t go away for long.

        On the third hand, the employment of illegal aliens strongly implies that tax laws were broken as well, and the various NGOs were flagrantly violating their tax-exempt status. There’s an awful lot to be audited.
        And none of these audits will be appreciated by virtually any of the major political donors.

        That’s a lot of power to bring to bear. Potentially even enough to break the Uniparty.

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  3. Sarah, you’ve been hacked on Facebook.  Please correct your problem!

    There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. P. J. O’Rourke

    Like

      1. Sample: 

        Sarah A. HoytYou’re friends on Facebo It’s GGBF (Gradient Gives Back Foundation), They are helping workers, hearing, deaf, old, young, widowed, retired and and in any personal use and i got $100,000 from the program and you don’t have to pay it back. Anyway did you know how to apply for the program? Just send a text message on their fb messenger link once you click on :Agent Larry Smith

        | | | | | |

        |

        | | | | Agent Larry Smith

        Agent Larry Smith. 2 likes · 1 talking about this. Government organization |

        |

        |

        and tell him that you’re here to claim your own winning money too before it gets closed okay.

        There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. P. J. O’Rourke

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          1. Yeah, it’s someone pretending to be you. And the page hasn’t been up for very long either. You can’t even take a walk through Farcebook without stepping in a steaming pile of Marxist poo.

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            1. I can’t do anything about it, but you guys should denounce it as illegitimate.
              I wasn’t hacked. Someone just cloned me. There’s no point being mad at me for what is on it. Nothing to do with me.

              Like

              1. Understood.  Thought it might be a clone, but wasn’t sure.  Obviously, sending messages to “it” didn’t reach you.  Ciao, L. Mike

                There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. P. J. O’Rourke

                Liked by 1 person

  4. I suppose you could hope that an audit of the IRS would turn up enough crap that it would make abolishing it a lot more palatable for the average low info voter?

    As in, “it’s so f’n’ corrupt the only option is to burn it to the ground, salt the fields, and start over”, and then just sort of forget the “start over” part of the equation?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Assume the entire structure is corrupted.
      If this assumption is true, Imhoff’s Law* applies. In which case, we can expect there to be little loyalty (and much resentment) between the leadership and the underlings. In such a case, it ought to be simple to find a disgruntled employee, and give them the task of auditing their former boss.

      *Imhoff’s Law: Life is like a septic tank. The really big chunks rise to the top.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Trump hasn’t the authority to eliminate the IRS. That requires Congress. He needs an amendment to remove Income tax altogether, otherwise it just waits the next “emergency” or political shift.

    His framework for all-tarriff funding of Fedgov is the only way so far to eliminate the IRS. Even a “national sales tax” will require those folks as enforcers.

    He is going to shitpost. He is akso going to obscure real positions.

    Don’t help the donks. Be of good cheer. Stay the course.

    Like

      1. The Reader thinks that maybe you ask too much too soon even though he agrees with the sentiment.

        Like

        1. I meant it to be half-or-more in jest, including my answer to Mailclerk.
          Have people gotten too sensitive to realize I’m making fun of myself? I did get “Aw, no” when I first read it, then laughed at myself.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. I think the problem is partially the title (my heart fell and I came in primed to get bad news) and partially the fact that all of us have been riding on an exhilarated high for the last two weeks, with the desperate feeling that the good news can’t last.

            Perfect storm.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. And also the fact that I think we know that he WILL disappoint us at some point on some thing. Might be the IRS, might be H-1Bs, might be legal immigration, might be not gutting some governmental agencies, might be strictly limiting foreign aid, might be something else. But he’s not perfect and he’s not a dictator, and sooner or later he’ll do something that rubs MAGA the wrong way. It’ll happen. So for now we enjoy and appreciate what he’s gotten started and keep praying that he follows through to the bitter end.

              Liked by 1 person

              1. Oh, certainly as the sun will rise in the morning. There are things that Reagan did that still tick me off. For a history nerd like me, there are things that GW (no “B”) did of which I do not approve.

                So far as rubbing “MAGA” the wrong way – realize that for most, it is a GOAL, not a blueprint. There are MAGA people that would stop ALL immigration, including people like Elon and our own hostess. I’m MAGA, but not with them. (Even H-1B, IF properly administered, is fine with me.)

                Liked by 1 person

                  1. The problem, as is the case with much of the FedGov, is that they ignore the law and get away with it. I quote (from Wiki, but whatthehell; it’s not always partisan…):

                    “The visa allows an initial three-year stay in the U.S., which may be extended to a maximum of six years. After this period, the visa holder must either leave the U.S. or reapply. The number of H-1B visas issued each fiscal year is capped at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 visas available for individuals who have earned a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution. Sponsorship by an employer is required for applicants.

                    In 2019, the USCIS estimated there were 583,420 foreign nationals on H-1B visas in the United States. Between 1991 and 2022, the number of H-1B visas issued quadrupled. 265,777 H-1B visas were approved in 2022…”

                    If you run those numbers, there seem to be quite a few more than allowed by law. :-x

                    Like

                    1. 85,000 a year, the visa lasts three years, can be renewed for three more, and there’s a ton of other cutouts and loopholes. Some of that is also the OPT foreign-student-to-slave-labor pipeline.

                      BTW, why the heck can’t I leave a response in the comment box on the blog? I’m having to hope this whole “reply to the email” thing works. Frickin’ WPDE.

                      Liked by 1 person

                2. That has been very noticeable in my area. Also an unusual number of empty houses in the last week or so. And a substantial reduction in traffic, even during rush hour.

                  Liked by 1 person

              2. I am coming off a week of high fever and whatever goooooood dope is in this cough-goo.

                Part of me still a bit bemused it’s all fever/dope from my ID.

                Hang on…

                (Fires phaser at the TV)

                Nope. Real. Wow.

                (Yes, I kept a phaser bedside to zap really bad fever dreams/monsters. It works, if you can remember to pull the phaser in the dream.)

                Dang! Trump just revoked Biden’s clearances, adding “Joe, your fired.”.

                Dang! And I haven’t even touched my cough-goo yet.

                What was the argument? Oh frak it. PTBTBHTBTH!

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          2. I don’t know why people didn’t get that. I mean, nobody believes that we look towards DC in hopes of seeing the trail of SMOD, do they?

            Um, well, maybe not “we.” I don’t think that you do. Myself…

            Liked by 1 person

            1. I would prefer SMOD not take out Washington DC primarily for the various Smithsonians and the monuments.

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              1. The acronym can also stand for “Smiting Meteor Of Deity.” Godlike targeting of the pieces just taking out what is necessary.

                Probably could even spare the Capitol building – the Brutalist (read “Soviet-style”) office buildings would be no loss whatsoever. The denizens of Congress will be helpless without their staffers to tell them how to vote, and what stocks they should short-sell.

                Liked by 1 person

      2. Sarah,

        You were Team Burn It Down 30 years ago (at least).

        Give Trump time to build up a casus belli for the normies. They already hate the IRS, but they’ve been brainwashed into thinking FedGov needs 20% of our GDP every year just to scrape by.

        After DOGE has gutted the rest of FedGov like they did USAID, only the lefty turnips will still think we need this vicious apparatus. The normies will scream to their governors and legislatures to Repeal That Shit Right Now!

        DOGE timeline is to finish in summer of 26. You and I may only be Moses looking at the Promised Land that the kids will live in and prosper, but we will see it.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. They are apparently about to tackle the BIG job. The Pentagon. Just the sheer size will take them six months to wrestle down. (I also think that the Perfumed Princes have different methods to hide their malfeasance than the civilian parasites.)

          Liked by 1 person

      3. it’s only been three weeks, sheesh. Most other Presidents were smiling and grinding their teeth while Congress buggers each other over confirmations. Trump threw a few lions into the crat-dens to provide entertainment.

        Are you not entertained?

        I just came out of a ten day flu fever to discover it wasn’t a dream. He really did all this stuff.

        He might get an amendment abolishing the 16th. It will take years, and will have to totally bypass Congress via Article 5. Some of those shitheads are already trying to head it off by saying Art5 gets Congress to propose amendments. Nope. The A5 convention route is bypass. Congress has -no- say in the convention or it’s output.

        That is both dangerous and opportunity.

        Look for Congress to pass “convention rules” if an Art5 call happens. “No editing of existing! Congress must send them tobrge States!” The States should wisely invite them to pound sand.

        Be of good cheer!

        (It annoys the left to see us happy!)

        It’s not what he says. It’s what he does.

        We are in a generational fight. Objectives take years.

        Meanwhile, are we not entertained? Lefticus has arrived, and is already stacking wins.

        Left-ti-cus!

        LEFT-TI-CUS!!

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          1. Semi-comma? That’s a punctuation I’m not familiar with. How far up Larry Correia’s Author Ranking List do you have to get, before such arcane knowledge can be imparted? :-D

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            1. Semicolon: What my Mom (may she RIP) ended up with after getting the cancerous part of her intestines removed . . .

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              2. (singing)

                Comma comma comma comma comma comedian!

                You pause and go, pause and go…..

                …..

                (jumps onto swoop bike, guns it)

                Until we meet again!

                (stealth mode on, evasive action)

                Liked by 1 person

        2. An Article V convention (ignoring what it can do the opinions on that are divided at best) requires 33 states Legislatures (2/3s) to start the process. However at present there are 18 legislatures with both Houses democrat. Also there are 3 state houses with divided legislatures. Nebraska is unicameral but predominantly Republican. So without change in that an Article V is not possible. ANd then you still have the 38 state 3/4 needed for ratification. At this point EO’s and limited legislation ( beware cloture in the Senate) are about all we’re getting. If we can push through some federal voting changes before 2026 (and the administration doesn’t screw the pooch) maybe we can get some more, not sure if we can get cloture in the senate and we need to avoid losing the current 3 seat margin. We aren’t out of the Bureaucratic forest yet by several rows of trees. That said Trump and DOGE are making great progress. They’ve won a battle and will win more, We need to keep republican’s feet to the fire so they don’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

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    2. He doesn’t need Congress, an amendment can start either in Congress or the states and the people. Once it passes either of those with a 2/3 majority, it goes back to the states and either their legislatures or conventions called for that purpose can ratify it with 3/4 of the states agreeing. So, Trump needs to appeal to the states in order to get an amendment started.

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  6. I’m of multiple minds on this issue: First, a progressive income tax is indeed the root of endless evil and should never have sullied the Constitution … but a strictly defined order of annual and triennial 10% taxes was anciently Divinely ordained. Then again, it was ordained for one specific society. Personally I would love for these United States to be funded entirely by tariffs and/or consumption taxes. A government of some sort is needed if only because “if not for fear of it, men would swallow one another alive.” Just saying.

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    1. “if not for fear of it, men would swallow one another alive.”

      Most would not. Even without government, most people would deal fairly with each other, living by work and trade. If a majority of people were truly that evil, the government would be too. Hell On Earth would be the rule, rather than the exception.

      Government exists to constrain the few that would devour others. Unfortunately, those driven to seek power see the government as a path to power, and they corrupt it. Our Founders tried to set up a government resistant to such corruption, with competing internal factions constraining each other.

      Unfortunately those safeguards have been broken down over the last hundred years, primarily because the federal government was given authority to take money from the people by force and use it as a lever and a club to enforce the will of the greediest and most corrupt among us.

      So long as that power remains concentrated, the greedy and corrupt will seek it, and twist it to their own advantage. The money and power have to be left as widely dispersed as possible, so no one can seize control of other people’s lives.

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        1. Based on the few records that we have….. Myself, I doubt that men were more virtuous; it was simply far easier to hide, both the act and yourself. O Henry’s “A Retrieved Reformation”? Effectively impossible today.

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          1. It made a bit of difference that everyone was armed, and if you pulled any shenanigans you’d better have a fast horse.

            Not more virtuous. Just more controlled, by necessity.

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    2. Yes, the biblical tithe is one of my sore spots when I hear preachers insist that it means you should give 10% of your income to the church every year. I see you know that because you listed triennial but many don’t. Deuteronomy clearly says to set aside 10% of your harvest each year, then consume it in a celebration before the Lord, but on the third year give it to the priests and the poor to consume with you. Obviously there are nuances to work out in our modern economy, but if a preacher keeps hollering, “Gimme your money cuz the Bible says so,” take it with a big grain of salt.

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  7. With you 100%, Sarah, though maybe just a but more patient (or perhaps beaten down – I was old enough to buy a copy of “Stranger” when it came out in ’61) but everything you say here is true. We’re a whole 18 (really 17) days into Trump-47’s Presidency and he still hasn’t kept every promise (a lot of them, sure, but …). 😉
    The transition from no federal income taxes (as the Constitution demands) to today’s snarled mess took a bit over 100 years, and will be a bugger to unwind – as you intimated, there are legitimate functions buried here and there in our government, and shifting their funding from the current ways and means to a more legitimate source – mostly the way we did it during our best years, those before about 1900, but perhaps including the sort of consumption tax you mentioned – will take some time.
    I voted for Trump based on my trust that he’ll continue to do what he says he will, as he’s done in the past; going all French Revolution now may not be in our best longer-term interests.
    But I still hope to be able to say, a year from now, “Holy crap, he did it!“

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      1. Amazing that we’ve gone from “impossible” to “may have to wait on that one” in TWO WEEKS.

        I have voted for Trump three times, in the hope that maybe he would be able to accomplish something, if only to reveal the swamp rats.

        I never expected to see win after win, and I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to keep my hopes from jinxing it.

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        2. I voted for him twice, like many people, in the hope of hearing “You’re fired!” being put on loop.

          First time, didn’t happen. Didn’t expect it to happen the second time, but still better than hearing “For the children!” on a loop.

          Third time – well, I am ecstatic to finally hear it.

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    2. “The transition from no federal income taxes (as the Constitution demands)…”
      Sorry, that’s not what the 16th Amendment says. The amendment says “shall have the power to…” Not a requirement, but you’re correct otherwise. Trump can, however, get rid of those 80,000 IRS SWAT team hires that the former FICUS insisted on. He’s not required to spend the money on them.

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        1. And those he can’t, if he can’t get rid of them, he can send them to the new CBP building (formerly known as the USAID headquarters). Considering what the previous tenants were up to, the odd stains will make at least some of them quite uncomfortable.

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  8. First step on getting taxes down, move the date to have paid for the previous year be 7 days PRIOR to the November election DAY.

    Although burning it all down right now sure sounds good as I’m working on Tax process now. And the family runs away from me as I’m doing them. My kids learned most of the foul street language they know not on the playground, but on me doing taxes. Fighting the paper work, the software, the machines, the where did that go? The directions the…whole process.

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  9. The biggest problem with people’s perception of the federal income tax is they think it’s necessary to fund the government.

    It’s not.

    It MAY be necessary to fund specific tasks we have delegated to the government, such as national defense, but as always, the questions are: (1) does this benefit ALL of the people of this nation? (2) is it affordable? and (3) are the ones voting for it going to pony up the bucks for it?

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    1. NO. Income tax is far too intrusive. It gets the government up into ALL of your personal business, enabling all manner of mischief.

      I also oppose sales taxes at the retail level. That is another tax on individual citizens. At the business-to-business level? Maaaybe.

      I’d be willing to entertain the notion of a sub-1% tax on stock, option and securities transactions, paid by the seller. Today, most stock transactions are made by bots buying and selling vast tracts of stocks in order to profit from tiny short-term variations in stock prices. The stock market is treated as a giant slot machine, siphoning money out without producing any value. A stock sales tax would put a STOP to that practice by taking the profits out of it.

      “How do you get a million dollars day-trading stocks? Start with two million!”

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Many stock and securities trades are made for efficiency, so that money can be put to use while being held, or that risks can be swapped, or hedged when someone is especially vulnerable. This makes everyone more productive. A tax here would cut into the lifeblood of finance that allows industry to supply our needs. Its effects far outweigh any gains.

        I don’t have a great recommendation for reading. The books that come to mind are Capital Ideas and Against the Gods, both by Peter L. Bernstein. I see ‘zon has them bundled on Kindle with his book on gold.

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        1. Some years ago I read, I think on the Motley Fool site, that 80% or more of the stock market’s trade volume was generated by ‘flash trading’ bots shaving fractions of a cent off of hundreds of transactions per second. That to me is running a non-productive slot machine.

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    2. If we have a national government to perform “national-level tasks” it must be funded….somehow. I get that.

      But….what some of us have known for a long time, because we’ve seen it ‘up close and personal’, is that most of what Our National Government does is neither necessary nor stipulated by the Constitution, much less <i>allowed</i> by it. “Usurpation of Authority” is the term.

      Dispersal of that authority – which was the original design that established states as centers of authority (it’s the “United <i>STATES</i> of America,” not “America with a huge monolithic national government and fifty insignificant subdivisions.” ) If New York wants to tax the #@&% out of its citizens, let it, people and their businesses will move to someplace that doesn’t. (Not that the cancerous “Addiction to Tax Money” won’t manifest itself right next door in New Jersey – “Come to NJ – our taxes are 10% cheaper than NY” – but plenty of roads lead out of New Jersey, too.)

      My contention is that Nationally Necessary Tasks – what’s <i>really</i> required for a competent national government to perform – are sufficiently small, and can be performed significantly more efficiently to allow absolutely minimal taxes to support, and Musk & Co., and people like DataRepublican, have shown it’s not difficult to maintain a running audit structure. Downsize the feds to what’s absolutely necessary for a national government and that auditing task falls almost to “hobby level.”

      Then comes the problem of whom we send to Congress…….and how we monitor them….where some reform, and I’m thinking of severe term limits* and more accounting transparency, will be required. If Nancy And the Gang can amass fortunes on the public payroll things are seriously, seriously “intercoursed up” in the “the citizens manage their government” department.

      *Not just “only X years in this offfice” but “only X years lifetime total in <i>ALL</i> offices, no more than Y in any one office.” Unless we set a lifetime cap on it, we’ll still have career politicians, it’ll just be “dogcatcher to president” rather than today’s “state rep to congress to senate to president.”

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  10. Too soon with “abolish IRS”. Cannot be done with an EO. Not sure abolishing taxes on SS is doable with an EO. Now with a lawsuit, yes. The original SS act explicitly states “do not tax” (I’ve heard …. not lawyer, so if I’m wrong, then I’m wrong). Remember when it wasn’t (not when we’ve been receiving it). Our state does not tax it. Makes a huge difference in state taxes owed.

    I did take your post as a tongue-in-cheek-semi-rage. I too would love to abolish income tax. Would love to see our state abolish income tax in favor of a sales tax (except food, healthy drinks, and medicine/medical care). However, can’t come from initiative process because one topic per initiative. Abolish income tax, institute sales tax, is two topics, even though both are “tax”. Legislature can have both in same bill. OTOH not sure this is true if they must refer the bill to the people to vote on.

    Two initiatives scare both sides too much. PTB are afraid abolish income taxes will pass, add sales tax will fail. Citizens are afraid the abolish income tax will fail, add sales tax will pass. Results in status quo with income tax.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hah. Late SOS Shemia allowed a couple multi-subject initiatives, as did the Oregon Supreme Court.

      But those were submitted by the Left.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Too true.

        Correction: “Not suppose to.” Thus the usual prattle about how the “two” tax issues are two different subjects. I call BS. It is a Tax issue.

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    1. Yes, tax season. The first thing is to have a good accountant. A stiff price the first time, but fee can be deducted the next year (more or less free thereafter, paying her rather than the IRS) [Besides, I would gladly pay it anyway for not having to look at the tax form]). Now sort through the big box of all letters, bills, notices & etc. (takes a few hours, but everything important is in there somewhere. [and throw nothing away just yet]). Have my own spreadsheets showing anything that could be taxable or deductible along with documentation (she has seen them for years and translates them to the IRS forms [several]). Even files it. I only get a letter “pay the US gov so much, pay the State so much, and pay us so much.

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      2. We pay TurboTax with State. Not quite simple enough for the online free federal version. Still need it for state. Besides we file feds for us, then mom, and our son. Snail mail all the state.

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  13. The Feds cannot replace the income tax with a national sales tax since that is explicitly not allowed by the Constitution. We got along fine before we became the world’s most benign empire with just duties on imports. Trump has floated that, but most sane people doubt it’s feasible.

    You are right to worry because Trump’s pattern is to go big first to frighten his opponents and then back off some of his demands. Taxes may be different because to get the majority of citizens to approve of it, he first has to prove that the government doesn’t need the income tax. So maybe there’s hope. I think the next big push is to eliminate the non-profit tax exemption. KILL IT! If you’ve paid any attention to USAID, you know why that’s necessary. I know the leaders of my church (and everybody else’s) will scream, but they’re one of the income taxes’ biggest constituencies. As Lincoln said it’s the old temptation of, “You toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.” How could those who don’t have to pay be against that? Are you going to kick Dad out of the house if he pays for the family’s meals? The churches will scream, but they’ll survive, just as they did when the Constitution forbade the government to pay for them.

    To get rid of the income tax, of course, you have to repeal the 16th Amendment or get in your time machine and get rid of Teddy Roosevelt in 1915 before he split the Republican constituency and allowed that vile, racist, Constitution-hating Woodrow f******ng Wilson to get elected. Repeal the 16th. We did it once with the 18th. We can do it again.

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    1. We don’t have to repeal the 16th Amendment to get rid of income tax. The Amendment authorizes Congress to collect income tax; it does not require it, nor does it specify how it is to be done.

      Remember, it was the Volstead Act, not the 18th Amendment, which prohibited sales and distribution of alcohol.

      Of course, repealing the 16th Amendment would forestall Congress re-implementing income tax, so it’s a worthy long-term goal.

      The 16th Amendment was promoted as only taxing the rich. Regular folks will never be taxed! Trust us!

      And Social Security numbers will never be used for identification, either.

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    2. Members of my church have been happily chortling (and even gloating, somewhat) that there’s no evidence that it has received money from USAID (or any other government group so far).

      ^_^

      Groups made up of former members who are now organized in opposition to my church, on the other hand…

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      1. I note that the “bishop” who raked Trump and administration over the coals during the syncretistic prayer service a little while ago received quite a large pile of silver, well over the traditional 30 pieces, from USAID…..

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  14. The people were lied to right from the beginning. It was supposed to be a tax only on the wealthiest, and the top tax bracket 1%.

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    1. The 16th Amendment places NO LIMITS on income tax. There is nothing to prevent the Congresscritters from passing a 100% tax on everybody. They could legally tax your childrens’ allowances, and the quarter the Tooth Fairy leaves under your pillow.

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  15. I’m kind of unhappy about the whole IRS tax thing, because it turned out over the last few years that the accountant who had done my tax returns for close to thirty years — he died, and his son who inherited the enterprise … isn’t half as skilled as his father. And even more insulting … neglected to file my return for a couple of years, and didn’t bother to tell me that they didn’t really desire my custom any further.

    And I owe a bit therefore to the bloodsucking IRS, which I am paying off, bit by bit.

    Yeah, I have a contact with another accountant – co-worker to my daughter, accountant to my grandson’s godfather, who is a good friend and a man of property needing a madly-skilled accountant.

    But yeah … I will not weep very much over someone melting the IRS to the ground.

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    1. And even more insulting … neglected to file my return for a couple of years, and didn’t bother to tell me that they didn’t really desire my custom any further.

      Celia, did they continue to take your money? Because that sounds like malpractice from where I sit.

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      1. No, just sat on it for a couple of years, after filing an extension. Then charged me twice what I had paid for years for a fairly simple return, and never returned any phone calls and messages. I was wondering if they had done the midnight flit and vacated their business premises entirely.

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        1. We had that happen in CO which is why Dan loses 3 months a year to dealing with MY taxes, instead of writing a novel. Because the accountant cost us 6k a year for 2 years.
          AND of course it happened in 2018 when I was beyond stone broke and we were paying for more house than we should (Because the only place both kids could live at home and commute was expensive as heck.)

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    2. Main reason I do my own yet. Although if they get more complicated than just before I retired, I may have to get someone (but always review and file them myself).

      It’s worth it to me for the peace of mind. Except for the three days of hell while I do them. Not fun for the family, either – three days of “March of Cambreadth” on continuous loop, while I sing the lyrics. Loudly.

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  16. While I personally hope the left spends the next four years running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, I am a bit worried about what they will try next.

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  17. A mob of Congresscritters headed by Mad Maxine tried to storm the Department Of Education to interfere with Musk’s auditors. Guards kept them out. One of them hollered:

    “There are no thieves and thugs out here. We’re members of Congress.”

    Hah! They are thieves! And a hundred times worse than any mere thug!

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    1. Apparently ONE guard. Who looked in the pictures as though he was completely bored. (Big enough that he would have the whole bunch of the “flab insurrectionists” down and in cuffs without breaking a sweat.)

      Liked by 1 person

      2. pity he didn’t guce the obvious rejoinder, as Mr. Clemens once wrote “Congress is America’s only native criminal class”

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  19. Give it a chance. The first thing they have to do is not stomp their feet, point at the IRS and say “GO AWAY” three times. They aren’t magic girls.

    Which means opening up the unopenable. Showing us ‘dirt people’ exactly how corrupt and mismanaged the whole thing is. Showing us where the scumbags are hiding money. Show us where the walking pustules actually paid their taxes (a lot haven’t, at the IRS and across the whole government.)

    Show where unequal treatment exists. Show the scams the IRS uses to destroy low income families while letting high income families skate, like knowing someone’s not paid but waiting 6 years to start garnishing their wages so the tax penalty has built up bigly (and you can’t tell me that they don’t know right away.) Show us where they all abide by all the tax laws they make us abide by.

    We all know the IRS is a corrupt organization. Because feels. We need to know exactly how corrupt and incompetent they are before we can set them free of their government jobs, flatten the building, salt the earth and then hang the mismanaging mismanagement.

    I mean, everyone knows that if you ask the IRS for help with your taxes, they’re not at fault if they give you bad info. But the rot and corruption goes farther and deeper than that.

    So we need the Dogist flock of autists and artists to go through that pile of garbage and find enough physical actual evidence that we’d be way better off without them in order to get rid of the whole pile.

    Give it time. It’s only been three weeks.

    And by firing little shots like “No Tax on Tips” and “No Tax on Social Security” and such, we can see where the shots land and what effect they have on the structure. Probing Fire or Reconnaissance by Fire if you will.

    I, too, want most of the senior management marched out to the gallows, most of the rest scourged out of the building like Jesus at the Temple. I want to see the corrupt lose everything physical to them, like they’ve done to us too many times.

    But we’re a Constitutional Republic. So we have to do things by the book. That doesn’t mean pussyfooting around like a bunch of RINOS. We have to follow the rules. Hard follow of the rules.

    Wait for the firings and dismissals. Wait for the fired and dismissed to be physically removed by law enforcement and arrested for stealing if applicable.

    Again, give it time. What we’re watching is a 6 armed Cassius Clay fighting Mr. Chicken. Mr. Chicken is being hit so many times in so many ways he can’t get his feet set and recover. And that’s how we kill the hydra, burning off each head not one by one but by using a flamethower.

    Just wait until the same focusing lens used on USAID gets pointed at the DOD or the Justice Department or the EPA or FDA or the CDCs or NIH or the DEA or the CIA or any of the bazillion little agencies that neither you nor I nor God Himself knows what they do.

    Time to go get some popcorn and watch the fun. Better than professional sportsmoneyball by far.

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  20. Perhaps at the end of the year, Trump should break out the idea of abolishing property taxes. I figure that the Democrats will have outrage fatigue by then and not care enough to respond beyond a handful of paid protesters.

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    1. Unfortunately, this would take a constitutional amendment, since property taxes are all state taxes. Or you could fight them state by state. I once was able to get a liberal on board for this by suggesting our property tax should be replace by income tax because it was unfair to poor school districts, lol.

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    2. Unfortunately, this would take a constitutional amendment, since property taxes are all state taxes. Or you could fight them state by state. I once was able to get a liberal on board for this by suggesting our property tax should be replace by income tax because it was unfair to poor school districts, lol.

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      2. I think this requires an amendment to get rid of in the states. My current view is that the death tax is already unconstitutional at the federal level unless the proceeds are being apportioned amongst the states (as was required of the income tax which got an exception via amendment 16) as it is not income being taxed but property. This power/right also seems to be reserved to the states (and the people) so the only way to remove it is by an amendment such as the 13th (or 18th before it was superseded) forbidding this to the states.

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  21. “if the other places are even half as corrupt as USAID . . .”

    The only reason we’re hearing about USAID first is that they outed THEMSELVES, by refusing to follow Trump’s order to pause all foreign aid for 90 days! Just wait to DOGE gets to Medicaid!

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  22. “if the other places are even half as corrupt as USAID . . .”

    The only reason we’re hearing about USAID first is that they outed THEMSELVES, by refusing to follow Trump’s order to pause all foreign aid for 90 days! Just wait to DOGE gets to Medicaid!

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    1. We’re not even three weeks in. Granting that if he abolished the IRS in less than three weeks, that would be awesome, even I never expected him to get there by now.

    2. Taxation is theft and immoral. If one person takes my property from me under threat of force, it’s wrong. Make it a million people who call themselves “government”, and it is the same. If you can’t get me to agree to give you my money voluntarily, you don’t deserve my money. Period.

    3. The Professional Managerial Class that has been running the cryptofascist shadow government for decades is in a panic over their slush funds getting gutted, and terrified that they may face consequences, real, personal consequences, for their arrogant and illegal seizure of power. They have nothing to fight with. They carefully constructed a false reality, cross-checked and validated by other aspects of that false reality (hey, kinda like what they’ve done with Wikipedia! Weird, huh?), worldwide, and it’s collapsing, and they have nothing they can do in defense. It’s kind of hilarious to watch them try all the old, broken tools that no longer have any power.

    4. Assuming that Trump and Elon only destroy half of the corruption and graft, that sets us on a path to a golden age like we’ve never known. The debt will get paid down, and we’ll have the inner solar system populated and productive in a decade.

    Libertas ad astra! Libertas in aeternum!

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            1. After Newt took control of the House, some people thought that the Dems were dead.

              Obviously, they weren’t.

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      3. Probably at least until the mid-terms. Say – two years, less a month.

        I do wonder, thought — if he or his allies haven’t already made it clear to those vile proggies or allies of vile proggies that they have incriminating receipts, 8×10 glossy photographs, the incriminating records and all, proof of the worst crimes – in hand, and such will be released should the vile proggies and allies make much of a protest.

        Which might — aside from a few token protests — account for not very much fight back.

        It came up on a recent zoom discussion of contributors to the weblog that I contribute to – one of the contributors wondered about the situation of all those illegal alien children being trafficked into the US. He wondered about how many vile progs might have guilty consciences on that account.

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        1. “least until the mid-terms. Say – two years, less a month.“

          –

          If GOP loses the House or Senate, then things could speed up, until the new session. Then everything comes to a dead halt. Oh the revolutions and hits will keep coming, if there are any left 😁, because even a turn over won’t stop that. But getting anything passed through whichever the GOP lost will be impossible. EO’s can’t stand because they are reversible by whichever the next chief executive the DEMs fraud in. We can hope that is beyond 2036.

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  25. How much of that vile anti-Israel Ham-Ass propaganda we’ve been bombarded with for more than a year was secretly funded by U.S.A.I.D.?

    Could that be why Trump sicced his attack-hound Elon on it first?

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