No More Federal Taxation of Individuals or Businesses!

It's strange how we got to this point isn't it? The Federal Government giveth and the Federal Government taketh away, only in reverse: they take first and give a little back. But this is exactly what we want isn't it? What's more important? Ohio? Texas? California? Rhode Island? or AMERICA! If you really believe the states are going to be less corrupted, less wateful and still involved with countrywide problems, you're smoking something. Probably whatever was being passed around the South in the 1850's. Europe is a collection of states now trying to be more like us, but it is too hard with language and culture issues. Here, it seems, the states would kill to be like European countries! America became great not because each state did great things on its own. We are a collective, a gestalt, better than the sum of it's parts. Some things, heck, most things, are better to have decided at the Federal level so we don't have to stop at every state border and present papers, pay duties and receive a list of that state's rules so we don't break laws so very different from the state we just left. There's certanly no reason to doom one state's population to suffer under either poor welfare or high taxes. Unless you're suggesting the states compete for population like school districts with open registration rules. In fact, what we could do is destroy State corruption by eliminating the state governments. Each state can still exist as a matter of pride and Senatorial contribution, but no more Governors abusing power, no more baby legislatures imposing unconstitutional laws that tie up the Supreme Court and no more duplication of effort between state and Federal programs. Local laws will be even more responsive with the county governments given more attention and maybe people will pay more attention to national politics with one less level of government distracting them. I don't really recommend that idea, but I'd rather lean to that extreme than further weaken our already retreating Federal government that made us great in the first place. We know the Founding Fathers had to abandon a strong state system when the Articles of Confederation proved too weak. So our system of strong Federal government is indeed the way it was intended to be. Every step on our path to the current way of doing business has been found to be Constitutional. If anything we don't go far enough to make the states fall in line. This whole banning gay marriage nonsense, for instance, could be taken care of nationwide, instead of each state doing their own thing. America, don't let state pride, local corruption, fear of big government and the appeal of "me-ism" ruin this great country. "Ask not what your COUNTRY can do for you - ask what you can do for your COUNTRY" (Emphasis added), JFK didn't talk about what you could do for your STATE. Remember the Stars & Stripes always flies ABOVE any state flag. We are Americans first and foremost, and a citizen of our state by happenstance thereafter. ParaTed is right to continually point out our problems, but this call to take a huge step backward in American development I feel honor bound to counter. Constant Vigil -The American Rat

Ok, so let me see if I understand this - Right now, we pay federal taxes and the federal government sends aid and assistance funds to the states; which are also collecting sales, property and (in most states) income tax from the people who live there. You want us to not pay federal income tax directly to the federal government and have the federal government tax each state instead. The states (which need the money back from the federal government just to try to make ends meet) will no longer be getting money from the federal government. This means that each state will NEED to raise and collect more taxes just to meet the same level of income that they had prior to the change (replacing the missing federal income) AND they would NEED to raise and collect even more taxes to pay the federal government the taxes that the states would owe to the federal government. I really don't see an "upside" to this. You would have some states that would not be able to raise the needed funds to provide basic services to their own people; especially, if there is a natural disaster (like Katrina, the recents floods, remember Mt St Helens) or a manmade disaster (like 9/11). "Rich" states would be able to fund better education and health care while poorer states would not and these people would "migrate" to the states that were better off looking for a "better life" for themselves and their families (sounds like illegal immigration to me but no laws to prevent it from happening or slow it down). This would literally cripple the poorer states. When we first became a country, the early colonies had started banding together to assist one another with better roads, postal servies, etc: because they recognized a need for basic standards. You say this is "communism" - taking a portion from each person and using that portion to make things better for everyone. But, communism is taking everything from everyone; and then, giving each individual an equal share. No matter who does the taxing, that is not what is happening. What is actually happening is much closer to socialism; and that is what has existed for a long time in many governments throughout the ages (no matter what they call themselves democracy, republic, theocracy, monarchy, etc.) - one entity taxes the people and then takes care of the overall infrastructure. That is even in the Bible and many other religious books (they just call it "tithing" or other pretty names; but, the result is the same).

realy always thought that was the way it was then I learned diferent really the states should still up for the state and not give to the government