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.
Can you pay your state “buying a hybrid” tax with your Federal “buying a hybrid” write-off? Zero sum tax policy, my favorite discovery.
In a slightly different area, although it fits under the rubric of whacko public policy. We have a local law that requires you to clear brush away from your home to reduce fire risk and a state law that prohibits you from clearing brush if there’s any (highly common) protected species in the vicinity. Whatever you do, you’re wrong...
However, the city has a large amount of public park land on which they will sell open space rights which essentially say they won’t do the developing they weren’t going to do any way because it’s a park. So you buy the rights from them, then trade them to the state for the right to clear your land.
and people say government doesn’t produce any revenue...