Paying taxes makes you a more involved citizen.

[alfredo]

Lucy Martin worked at our local Dem headquarters in 2004. She updated all our data, and pulled us kicking and screaming into the 21st century.


"Low taxes and high aid flows, Ms Martin thinks, are a recipe for disengaged citizens and therefore for less effective governments. Her argument hinges on “loss aversion”, an economic proposition that the pain of a loss is greater than the pleasure afforded by an equal gain. Most people, the thinking goes, care more about losing what they have than about getting something extra."

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21642199-behavioural-argument-higher-taxes-no-representation-without-taxation


The article PDF:
http://sites.duke.edu/2014bmp/files/2014/10/Martin_TaxAcc.pdf

[calimary]

1. There's a great quote about paying taxes.

"I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization." Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/17105-i-like-to-pay-taxes-with-them-i-buy-civilization

[alfredo]

2. If the rich paid their fair share would they care about America?

[calimary]

3. Nah, probably not. They'd just whine and snivel and claim victimhood.

[alfredo]

4. True, they are under the delusion that they got rich without a shred of help from anyone.

Their parents, teachers, infrastructure, compliant banks, and business friendly laws had nothing to do with their success. They think the highway fairy created the highways that carry their goods to the stores,