"The goal we've set for ourselves - that no American should go without [being taxed] ... is achievable!"
Annual photos of people and cars lining up in order to post their tax returns before the bell tonight will replace the pictures that the establishment press used of similar lines to prove the popularity of the 'Affordable' Care Act (though they skipped the appropriate use of ironic quotes). "The debate is over! The [IRS] is here to stay!"
The two systems are intertwined, of course. The IRS will ensure the popularity of ObamaCare by ensuring that Americans are enrolled, otherwise a fine will be imposed. The fact that the IRS is involved could be confusing, since Obama declared quite often that Americans won't see their "taxes go up one dime!" (Perhaps as often as he spoke of shovel-ready jobs and keeping your doctor.)
Donald B Virrelli, the US Solicitor General, solved this conundrum during the arguments before the Supreme Court in the litigation of NFIB v Sebelius that set the 5-4 vote in favor of ObamaCare. He first argued that failure to secure health insurance would impose a fine, thereby establishing that it was not a tax. During the second part of the argument, he then argued that it would be a tax instead, in order to ensure the ability of Congress to have the authority for the law, in that Congress has the unlimited ability to tax. Chief Justice John Roberts bought it.
As a celebration of the day, comedian Remy Munasifi of Reason TV tells us how "Happy" we should be:
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Your point is well considered and well made, Nicholas. The government can tax its citizenry right up to everything they own, so long as those citizens allow it to do so.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to the pages, Blair.
DeleteYour father, as I well know, was a quite successful and knowledgable CPA and was on a first-name basis with at least two IRS Commissioners. I remember him telling me many years ago, in open candor, that the IRS was the closest thing this country had to a Gestapo, whereupon he he listed in almost Reaganesque style the astounding power it had to take practically anything we had with hardly any accountability whatsoever. The only thing saving the American populace was the integrity of the system and the IRS officials.
Note that I said "many years ago".
Gestapo, indeed. Just don't get crosswise of them or you'll find out. The current crop of biggies obviously have set aside whatever integrity the agency once might have been known for, but I think most intelligent people have alwaysbeen afraid of them and with good reason.
ReplyDelete