[Pontiac]

IMHO in order to have "Revenue" you have to produce a good or service that is sold of which you are compensated justly for in the Private Sector.

It one of the evils of government that they have despoiled the word “service”.

Regulatory agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Agency now charge those they regulate for their “Services”.

A number of years ago when the Congress was trying to cut the deficit they decided the many of the regulators had to “pay their own way”. They would have to finance their own budgets by charging for their “services”. So now the NRC and some other regulators at least partially fund their budgets by billing those they regulate or imposing fines.

While on the surface this does not seem like a bad idea because it reduces the need for taxes overall it does give the regulator perverse incentives.

Regulators will take longer to review license applications to increase fees. Regulators will more frequently impose fines for minor infractions. Regulators will increase the number and complexities of regulations to boost the chances of finable offenses.

But yep the government is out their providing invaluable “SERVICES” (remember the Internal Revenue Service is there to help)

[GrumpyOldWASP]

So those Green-eye shade Trotskyites in DC think it would be more prudent to tax us first before we contribute to our 401 (k)’s and then again when we withdraw from them. Nothing like a little double-taxation to grow the Gubmint coffers. Oh, and their side of the pact is they will “allow” us to have our accounts continue to grow tax-deferred. How nice. If they would just stop the run-away spending it would do a lot to reduce the pressure for revenue which they so desperately need....

[taildragger]

Pontiac, thanks for one of the most value added post I have seen in a long time, I learned a lot....