Institute the Laffer Curve….please

April 15th is almost here and for about 50% of us, we have just about finished working the necessary hours to pay the tax bill.  Yes, that’s right, the 50% of working America that pays taxes is just starting to earn money for themselves.  There is a theory about the tax rate, that I believe we need to institute, namely the Laffer Curve.  The Laffer Curve is a theoretical representation of the relationship between government revenue raised by taxation and all possible rates of taxation.  What does that mean to you?  It means that as the tax rate increases – government revenue begins to go down.  The Laffer Curve theorizes that there is a happy median, so to speak, a rate at which both government tax revenues go up and the tax paying citizens work output goes up, this of course, makes both party’s very happy.  But, if at any time, say the government raises the tax rate to 70%, the incentive to be productive goes way down.  Afterall, why work if you are not going to receive any of the fruits of your labor. 

 Art Laffer, the person the curve was named after, suggests that there is a perfect tax rate for both the individual to pay to the government and any businesses, that would maximize both revenue and production.  What is the ideal rate you must be asking?  ELEVEN PERCENT, yes that’s right, I said 11%!  So why during a recession, almost a depression, to hear our competent leadership explain are we paying 30% and up and are getting ready to raise that rate even more?  Dare I say it, but could it be the redistribution of wealth? 

So, on Thursday, Tax Day, please feel free to enjoy writing that check to the government.  Yes, the check that you just spent 104 days working for and remember “it just feels good to share the wealth”.  Right?

by  Kim Lentz

Dependence or Independence, you decide?

The history of the United States has truly been an exercise in individual freedom from its beginning.  The first settlers of this great country initiated action against a tyrannical government to end being dependent and chose instead to be independent.  Our founders rooted our Constitution in the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness anchoring each with the natural laws of man.  These natural laws were laws inherent in the nature of human beings and not contingent on ethics, human constructs, laws or beliefs.  Meaning each could not be taken away by a man, church or government.  The Founding fathers knew that too much power in the hands of any man could corrupt, but in the hands of a corrupt man could destroy.  Every word of our Constitution was pain-stately chosen specifically for this reason, so that no one man could influence or have influence over other men as to not allow tyranny to occur. 

 So, why the desire to give up our freedom and become dependent on the government now?  Do you really believe that because we are the United States we can make socialism work?  It has never worked in the history of the world, why are we being so arrogant to believe that we can make it work?  It is not in our nature to be dependent, our American history, tells us that we are a free independent people who create, innovate, build and strive to be the very best individuals that we can be.  We are the country that has led the way for democracy, we have fought for and defended freedom around the world, so why the desire for a nanny state? Other countries try to emulate our government system, not the other way around!  Did we lose these qualities along the way and begin to believe that we are so great we can take a historically flawed government system; socialism and somehow make it work?

 In Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address, 1801, he stated:

“The essential principles of our Government… form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty and safety.”

Instead of retracing our steps and choosing the road back to freedom, we have chosen the road to socialism.  We should be looking to the Constitution for direction, not some failed government system.  Why are we not searching for answers in our Constitution?  The answers are certainly there if you chose to see them and yes the road back will be hard and may take longer than any of us wants, but isn’t our freedom worth it?!  Have we gotten so soft, we can’t handle a little hard work?  Or is it something else?  For decades, our children have been indoctrinated into the progressive agenda and our society, over time, has bent so far to the left that we believe that political correctness is the only way that we are allowed to communicate.  Our freedom and liberties are worth so much more, it is time to take a long hard look in the mirror and see this for what it really is, an evolution of our republic, and an evolution into Socialism.  

by Kim Lentz