Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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From the files of Bob Malkas: Taxes

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Local Voices

Bob Malkas

One of the most effective history teaching tools I have ever discovered is the five-part series The Unauthorized History of Taxes. It presents a running history on the subject of taxes in the United States.

It can be accessed from Fox Nation, a news streaming service. Fox Nation is offered to subscribers for a fee, but it also offers a one-month free trial period, so you can watch it at no cost. If you accept the offer to participate in the experience, you will be prepared to make sound decisions when we learn the details of the Biden administration’s new tax increase program and how it could affect each of us.

In the last few years America has been transformed from a nation of the people, by the people, for the people to a nation of the politicians, by the politicians, and for the politicians. Each one of our 570 representatives in congress is more than a millionaire, yet they claim that they know what is best for their constituents without ever hearing from them.

If you study the history, you will be forced to believe that most of them will lie, cheat, and steal to maintain their hold on political power. We have been told that any new tax plan will only have an effect on those individuals who make more than $400,000 annually.

Both Houses of Congress are basically functioning from a 50-50 political break-up. Less than ten votes going either way will determine the future taxing questions now being considered, and all indications now are that the voting will be exclusively partisan.

We are expected to believe that each party allows their members to vote their minds in the way their constituents would direct them, and not be determined by party leaders. That reality challenges the imagination.

The only way left for the people to correct this reality is to unite as a free people and make our feelings known to the President, Vice President, and our elected representatives.

Our bargaining chip is our votes. We will withhold them when they are asked for in the 2022 national election.

They must learn that we will not be lied to: we will not support candidates who can’t keep us safe; we will support candidates who work to unite us, instead of those who promote class distinctions. We will demand that all candidates pledge and follow through on a mission to heal a fractured nation.

Grover Norquist founded Americans For Tax Reform (ATR) in 1985. Its primary goal is to oppose all tax increases as a matter of principle. The ATR promoted a Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a pledge signed by lawmakers who would agree to oppose increases in marginal income tax rates for individuals and businesses. The Pledge was signed by 95% of all Republican members of Congress in that year, but no Democrats.

2021 presents a political climate that could be ready for the idea to be resurrected for future study. It would be a first step to jump start a movement for the American people to take back control of our national government, and it could be led by the Village of Lansing, if we do it first.

The new taxes now being promoted by President Biden must first be explained and justified to the satisfaction of those would be paying for it, and questions must be answered in a public forum. The future of our children and grandchildren depends on it.

Our two senators and one congresswoman must stand and deliver before they vote on issues to raise taxes on the people of Lansing. The only power remaining to us is to withhold our votes from them in the next national election if they disregard the public and are not transparent.

Politics can be interpreted as a pendulum. It can only be pushed so far in one direction before it will start to come back.

Bob Malkas


Local Voices is our version of “Letters to the Editor.” The opinions posted here are those of the writers, and posting them does not indicate endorsement by The Lansing Journal. We welcome input from fellow residents who have thoughtful things to say about topics that are important to our community. Send your submissions to The Lansing Journal with “Voices” in the subject line.

Local Voices
Local Voiceshttps://thelansingjournal.com/category/lansing-voices/
Local Voices is The Lansing Journal's version of “Letters to the Editor.” The opinions posted here are those of the writers, and posting them does not indicate endorsement by The Lansing Journal. We welcome input from fellow residents who have thoughtful things to say about topics that are important to our community. Submissions may be sent to [email protected] with “Voices” in the subject line.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Fix Nation from Fox News Service?
    Bob, please provide a non bias news source.
    Anything Fox is like anything CCN, I personally cannot stomach either news company for the truth.

  2. Hi Bob, I hate seeing higher taxes as well and I thank you very much for this information. I did read that ATR’s president Grover Norquist who is also a board member of the National Rifle Association quoted “I’m not in favor of abolishing the government. I just want to shrink it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.” Also, the Senate Indian Affairs allege that ATR served as a “conduit” for funds that flowed from Abramoff’s clients to finance grassroots (Republicans) lobbying campaigns. Is this the same Abramoff who is a convicted felon?

  3. Hi Bob, I wrote an interesting and enlightening article about two heroic (white) men Walter Francis White and Moorfield Storey. They paved the way for today’s modern activism and social movement. I can share it with you if you like. It was shared with the Lansing Journal, but Melanie said it wasn’t a good fit, and normally they don’t republish work.

  4. Elvis you got my interest. I’ll look them up.
    I only thing I take from Norquist is the general ideas that the U.S is better with less taxes rather than more. I did meet him once and we discussed issues.
    People today just don’t understand economics.
    I love to ask people to write an argument to support a 30-trillon national debt.
    I’m not so much worried about me, but I am concerned about the future and our children and grandchildren who will some day be required to pay it back.
    I’m not really a social media fan, but because of comments like yours I could come around.
    Everybody today seems to have opinions, but don’t want to discuss them.

  5. Elvis-I did look them up. They seem to be people I should have known about and will pursue their stories

Comments are closed.