Reality 101: There are fundamental truths about the tax code

There are some realities that every lawmaker and taxpayer must face as April 15 rolls around each year.

The first is that nothing happens in government without money. The determination really is how much we want the government to spend and how involved we want it in private enterprises and the daily activities of its citizens.

So, if you want more government welfare programs and things like subsidized health care, someone has to pay for it.

Which inevitably leads to the second truth about taxes.

Money does not just materialize out of thin air. It comes out of taxpayers' pockets. There is no miracle money-making scheme that the government will come up with to pay for any of these new programs and initiatives.

Taxes pay for programs, government offices and government employees. They also pay for presidential trips overseas -- and the chief executive's expenses while he and his family are in the White House or the governor's mansion.

And just so you know, when politicians talk about budget cuts -- or spending increases -- or when they talk about inflation, they mean that same tax money.

Budget cuts mean shuffling around tax dollars from one program to another. Spending increases mean tax increases -- translated: more money out of your paycheck each month.

Adjusted for inflation means tax increase or budget cut. There is no other way to do it.

So as another April 15 is relegated to the books, it brings up a question that is fundamental to the future of this country: How much money do we want to keep for ourselves and how much do we want to entrust to the federal government to spend?

Keep in mind, these are the same people who produced Gilligan's Island videos and took convention trips to Las Vegas.

It is time to revisit the tax code.

But before we do, we have to decide what our priorities are and find a way to make sure our money is spent properly.

Both are rather large, yet very important tasks that just cannot wait any longer.

Published in Editorials on April 16, 2014 11:16 AM