Given the abuse I’ve taken during discussions on this topic during past years, the Freeper consensus is “sucker”. I just have the feeling that if I’m going to battle for responsible use of taxpayer money, my standing is enhanced if I’m actually paying the taxes I owe. And I usually get a more respectful hearing from politicians if I don’t prove my ignorance by claiming that existing taxes are new taxes.
I’m a glutton for punishment, so I enjoy these discussions. I do think “sucker”.
And I’ll admit that for the coming year, I’m sorely tempted, because Virginia just introduced new taxes that are grossly unfair — two specifically, one which taxes me MORE just because I bought a hybrid car, and another which taxes me MORE just because I live in Northern Virginia.
I don’t like it when the government picks winners and losers.
Suppose we had a law that required you accept soldiers quartered in your home? Now that's plainly unconstitutional, but if we follow your reasoning, we can't question the law unless we diligently obey it.
Therefore the correctness of the argument against a bad law can't depend on your virtue with respect to following said law, correctness must stand or fall on the argument's own merit. Your diligence in observing a bad law doesn't make the law good any more than avoidance of a good law makes the law bad...attacks on your character can not undermine your argument.
The legal system says there's no cause for action anyway when you pay your taxes - there is no dispute. Unfortunately the road to unwinding bad laws via the legal system is expensive and prone to running into blockheads who feel the existence of a law is incontrovertible evidence the existence of the law is not subject to question.