Why are taxes so "bad"?

[blondeatlast]

This discussion came up recently at a social engagement. The other party was explaining why they loathed taxes and that that is why they were a Republican despite being socially quite liberal.

I mentioned that taxes paid for his education, public water supply, roads, etc. It was as if he never once considered all that. I don't get that thinking--but I know it's rather common (I'm in Maricopa county, AZ--a pit of RW ignorance rapidly deteriorating into pre-Civil Rights era haterd).

What gives--and more importantly, how do we shift the framing (ie, the * tax cuts that will expire soon). Again, I live in AZ--and the stupid commercials (Obama and Pelosi are soshulists, yanno?) are almost more than I can take.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. Anything that "takes away" money from people is "bad"

Of course, if we eliminated taxes or cut them back to next to nothing tomorrow, people would be a LOT more unhappier IMHO because the roads wouldn't get fixed and there would have to be massive cuts in public education and essential civil services such as police, fire, etc.. Michael Moore once argued- and I happen to agree with him- that people are upset about taxes because of what they appear to be getting/not getting out of paying them. I bet that there would be a lot less grousing about taxes- even if they were slightly higher- if we were getting free- or near free- health care, childcare, college tuition, among other things (women in France get free postpartum NANNIES to help them out for crissakes!!!)- things that are basically "taxes" even though they're not exactly called "taxes".

:shrug:

Excellent Question. It's definitely something that we need to find a way to put in the proper perspective for the public. If anybody should be upset at anybody it should be the Republicans and their neverending quest to make taxes lower for everybody else but the top 1-2% of the country whom could (and should) be taxed higher and STILL be grotesquely wealthy.

[Lil Missy]

2. That is how it is framed, so it will benefit the rich.

[LiberalFighter]

3. They need to consider that if they didn't pay taxes...

Those services would be provided at a higher cost because there would not be any regulation. And if there weren't any regulations there wouldn't be any right to file a law suit. Consumers would be at greater risk to their health and life.

Roads would either deteriorate or any construction would be passed directly to those in the area or there would be a road toll tax. Which would also drive up the price of goods transported to stores.

[Hannah Bell]

4. i think a lot of people hate them because they feel they're falling behind

& not getting anything from their taxes.

in europe the larger number of universal programs, especially health care, dissipates that feeling to some extent.

social security & medicare are the most popular "entitlement" programs specifically because they're universal. medicare for all, even at a somewhat higher tax rate, would change the ball game. because most people would save big.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization."

This often-quoted remark was made by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., one of the most respected U.S. Supreme Court justices. He was appointed by that evil Republican Theodore Roosevelt.

[MindandSoul]

6. Taxes are not "bad," what the government does with it makes it good or bad!

Believe it or not, we pay a lot less taxes than the Europeans do. . .but we get so much less in return! The European economy is recovering much faster BECAUSE of the higher taxes that pay to keep the economy going even in bad times (child allowances, extended unemployment, continued attention to infrastructure spending, which creates jobs, and small enterprise boosting).
I just came back from a 2 months vacation in Europe (France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Holland) and I was amazed to see the level of energy in EVERY city! To me, this is the perfect exemple why "trickle down" economy doesn't work. . .we need EVERYONE in the economy to be able to spend to keep the economy going.
And, by the way. . .after watching both sides of every highways in Belgium filled with "small" enterprises. . .I KNOW that the old urban legend "socialism kills small enterprises" is a total lie!

[Warpy]

7. Disconnect.

Stupid people only see the money that's deducted from their pay. They don't connect the dots well enough to see that money paying for roads, schools, police, fire departments, clean water, sewers, safe and effective medicine, safe food, and everything else that money provides them in their everyday lives.

[valerief]

8. Rich people want to keep all their money and more. So they say taxes are bad

in their vast mass media machine. Poor ignorant people believe the mass media machine.