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About controlling taxes - we need a plan.
In the interest of fairness some actions need to be carried out by government with the consent of the governed. In the interest of efficiency, government needs to perform its functions in a business like manner.
We believe that a proper balance between efficiency and fairness can be achieved by making government more transparent to the people. The Internet gives government a powerful tool to educate the people on the operation and performance of government in providing our common needs and wants.
To that end, we recommend that each department of government build a web site which clearly shows the function of that department, the results of that department, the cost of the department and the source of funds for that department.
Further more, we believe taxes (and fees) should be collected to provide specific objectives and not left to the discretion of individual office holders.
How do we reach consensus on how much government the people need and how to pay for that government? Surely an educated people can make this determination in a rational manner without needless partisanship.
Perhaps we can put government on a more business like footing. Let's relate a tax paid to a service received and let the people determine how much tax makes sense for any given service at the federal, state and local level.
As a starting point I suggest the following alignment.
| Type of tax | service provided | where collected * |
|---|---|---|
| income tax | national defense | federal level |
| education | state level | |
| full employment | state level | |
| property tax | fire and police protection | local level |
| sales tax | essential government services | state level |
| social services | state level | |
| inflation tax | economic stability | federal level |
| rainy day funds | state level | |
| sin tax | restoration | state level |
| ex. cigerates - health care | ||
| service fee | specific government service | local/state level |
| drivers license, ID | state level | |
| water, trash, sewage, etc. | local level | |
| fuel tax | roads, highway system | state/federal level |
* this is a collection service only - the funds are then directly transfered to the spending authority