Birthdays are generally happy occasions. Last Sunday was a birthday that has a lot of Americans dodging, weaving and avoiding reality — Feb. 3, 1913, Congress ratified the 16th Amendment of the Constitution. Some would argue that nothing has been right since.
With April 15 just a few months away, most Americans are sweating that day that lives in infamy every year for the last 100.
Just to refresh your memory, here’s what the 16th Amendment gives the federal government the power to do: “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regards to any census of enumeration.” Got it?
In simple terms, the federal government has the right to set taxes on income no matter if you’re Joe Six Pack or PGA legend Phil Mickelson.
One might wonder what it was like to be taxed on one’s income 100 years ago. Well, Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today, was wondering the same thing. Here’s what he found: “When Congress passed the income tax law in 1913, a couple making over $4,000 in taxable income after all deductions was subject to a 1 percent tax rate.” You read that correctly — 1 percent.
Now, hang on, it gets interesting. “With inflation that $4,000 then is equal to about $93,700 now.” However, to be taxed on that equivalent income would cost today’s couple 25 percent in federal income taxes. Let’s see, that’s $23,425 the couple would owe the Internal Revenue Service on April 15.
We may have just “celebrated” the federal income tax and figure what today’s couple would owe on their combined income, but the state of Minnesota caught on to the practice of taxing income. A couple making $93,700 would face a 7.05 percent income tax on top of the federal income tax. The couple would owe the governor $6,605.85. If my calculator is adding things up correctly, that’s $30,030.85 owed the IRS and the state of Minnesota.
Keep in mind that this highly taxed couple has to make a house payment, a possible car payment, fuel and insurance for both, I guess the government should allow them enough to eat.
Let me know if I missed the birthday celebration last Sunday for the 16th Amendment, but there was something else going on Sunday — oh yeah, Super Bowl XLVII.
Conclusion? Mark Twain said it best: “What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.
Keith Hansen
Comments (26)
Add commentHave to raise enough money to pay for the 2nd Amendment
Or maybe Keith your not onboard arming & training school teachers , school bus drivers , school crossing guards ,school admin. and school security guards as the only possible solution to stop/help prevent gun violence around schools ?
Cap
Just what the heck are you doing on here today?? Boy I would have thought you're man would have requested to have you in his security detail today while he was in town??? Did ya get snubbed???
Lil'Cappy
it worked in Atlanta last week, but your liberal media want's to bury it in the lingerie ads. I would have thought you'd have seen it right away.
Skewing the numbers
Keith reveals only the first point (1913) on this attached tax graph. (Click below, if numbers actually interest you.) Notice the graph over the years, however. We currently pay lower taxes as percentage of GDP than we typically have paid. But why show entire graphs -- or provide the larger picture -- when you can more efficiently make your biased point by skewing the numbers? Keith, your Statistics 101 professor is hanging her head in shame (but not to worry -- your supervisors at Morris appreciate your fealty to corporate politics).
http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-tax-rates?op=1
Another good Mark Twain quote: “If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the (this?)newspaper, you're mis-informed.”
― Mark Twain
Pharm Boy , Im working now , on my dinner break
The United States Secret Service & the MN Highway Patrol , when they are not busy guarding school kids do a real bang up security job for elected officials.
Maybe someone should turn Keith loose figuring out what it costs US Taxpayers a day to keep the US 5th Fleet and 2 aircraft carrier battle groups padddling around the coast in front of Iran .
You know the sworn enemy of our ( former ?) best friends.
Hmm
Just what does it cost to fly Air Force 1 around to TRY & help you're lib agenda?? Let alone the security that this State has to pay for??
I don't know, OFB.
But it beats the cost of starting wars then spending every week flying off to Texas.
And I bet he didn't play golf in Minnesota today! That is usually his big sin.
Without many highly trained individuals , armed with weapons
Just out walking/flying/driving around how is anybody ever going to feel safe ?
Security and Freedom are NOT free.
If you want to play ,some have to pay more taxes.
Because Im getting worried my childrens ,childrens , childrens , children..... will be saddled with this huge debt.....
Your guy
is the one heaping debt on those kids. Aren't you glad you helped him do it?
If you're talking about Pres.
If you're talking about Pres. Bush going to Texas every week.
I don't believe he went every week so, where is the proof?
You could probably go to Texas 10 times to equal one
trip to Hawaii. I don't know for sure,just a guess.
I wonder how much it cost to pay all the police officers to take the day off to be the backdrop.
Just for you, Sadie.
"Those who criticize the cost of Obama’s Christmas vacation don’t want you to know that George W. Bush spent at least $20 million taxpayer dollars just on flights to his ranch in Crawford.
The right wing has been outraged at the four million dollar plus price tag for Obama’s family Christmas vacation, and they constantly hold George W. Bush up as an example of how thrifty a president should be when going on vacation.
The problem is that W. wasn’t thrifty. He was the most expensive vacation president in US history. Not only did Bush spend more days on vacation than any other president, but he used Air Force One more often while on vacation than any other president in history."
southie
I know, that quote is from some "real liberal politics" place.
If it is true, wouldn't that be for 8 years?
Anyway, I think they all spend too much.
Every president and every senator and every congressman and and, and, and....
I just don't think Bush went to Texas every week, that was my point. I don't know who holds Bush up for an example but, I guess it would be because he has his own place and went there as well as the Presidential retreat.
There is a show on TV that is called Southie something.
I don't know what channel, just saw a commercial.
That's where I am from.
I will have to check it out.
Ugh. A reality show.
Hey, the Brainerd city council passed a motion to apply for a grant to build sidewalks near Garfield. More government spending. In your area though.
Like you would ever
check out a liberal lie and tell the truth after you did. southie, people like you are destroying this once fine nation. I really can't wish you a good night because of that.
Thanks for the
thumbs down. It's almost like a war medal because you lefters are trying to do what the USSR and the Axis powers couldn't do. I hope every one of you Lefters have a terrible night and a worse day tomorrow.
Another victims declaration...
FnB, I can wish that you spend the night accumulating enough brain cells to generate some actual synaptic activity.
"War Medal"?
Now there's a kick in the head to anyone who actually engaged in combat in a 'real' war vs the paper wars you play with (like paper dolls).
ism,
is at the tail end of communism................and socialism..........
High
High 5's to Lelandism and Southie!
"I hope every one of you Lefters have a terrible night and a worse day tomorrow."
Slept like a baby and woke to the smell of fresh coffee FnB.
Sorry I woke up?
Sorry that anyone that disagrees with you woke up?
Tough luck.
:)
ever notice...
that it is the same 4-5 people arguing with each other and saying nothing useful for anyone? I used to read all of the comments, but now once you have read one, you know what the rest will say. Try a new angle or something. The finger pointing is getting old, and has been for a while now.
I agree, terrybones. Weigh in on some of the content,
though. If you remain on the sidelines, you're not modeling the change you wish for. If you're able, jump in and help us elevate the quality of dialogue beyond simpleton name-calling and gradeschool banter.
Bubba...
First off, commenting or not is not the only qualifier in participation. There are many venues to do so. Also, I would be terribly shocked if anyone has ever changed their opinion(s) based on comments posted on here. People are stating their views, which are firmly entrenched. I have very "set in stone" ideals that are not influenced one way or another on here. IT also does not matter how the posts start, they all, inevitably end up in the same place. With the lefties blaming the righties, and vise versa. You can almost predict how each post is going to go with looking at the name of the poster only. It is tiring and obvious. The same people day after day repeating the same things over and over again. I actually do not know why the few of you who do, post so regularly? What difference are you making, and most of all, who cares? When you say the same things over and over and over again, it is no different than saying nothing.
Thanks for sharing. I'm sorry we won't be hearing from
you, Terrybones, but thanks for responding.
Something New-Whoa-the Lib-In-Chief is coming
The guvs coming, the guvs coming. To Brainerd this weekend. Something about a snowmobile ride. Real good for a new spine. This guvs better than Adrian Peterson with his fast recovery. Just great, a pill-popping spineless clown on a snowmobile. That ought to be good for the tourist industry. Well, at least it will keep the trashy trollers off the cyber waves for a while. That should be really funny, seeing all the local libs on snowmobiles. Snowda and southie on snowmobiles-UFFDA. Hey, I see snowda made the BDD papers today. She's selling sidewalks now.
Old Farm Boy,
Just what did it cost to fly Air Force 1 around for Dubya to
TRY & help his conservative agenda??
Why pick on Obama when Bush prevoiusly flew around on the same plane?
brian
Maybe because he used it to see his Men/Women in uniform. As Our country is in dire despair with debt & he flies around wanting to take rights away from people. I guess someday when I grow up I want to be a gay,undocumented,politican?? So I can just give myself more right's!!
NOW
Who cares what it cost for Pres. Bush? That was then and this is now. We have a huge debt and someone in the White House should realize that . He is the President we have now, Democrats control the Senate and Republicans control the House, so, they are the ones we question now.
I would question Romney if he were President but, he's not so we go after Obama.