OK, but why do they have to do the "family of four" thing? Can't they just say £75 per person?

And you can't necessarily extrapolate an airfare tax onto a general VAT. One of the reasons they feel ok raising specialized taxes is because it could be seen as a "luxury" tax, not affecting everyone. A VAT would affect everyone, and be less politically viable to raise.

Not that I'm in favor of a VAT, but that's a different argument.

Certainly there is a problem with government constantly sucking up money.

This one doesn't seem so bad when you look at the cost of the airfare. I checked online and found the lowest I came up with is $4500 so that is like a 10% tax. Most airfares were more like $9500 - less than 5% and rates where quickly going up.

I heard in Washington State they voted out taxes and put in a big barrier to increases in tax rates.

Bloated budgets and taxes on everything can be seen as a type of theft. Politicians spend "inefficiently", giving outsized benefits to the powerful and connected, and they keep profits on side deals. Borrowing (running deficits) supplies more money to the theft.

Why would they want to stop doing this? Absent voter anger and action, they will spend (steal) the last dime they can tax or borrow. Why not?

→ The Political Manual: Adequate Compensation

Appointment or election has given you power and independence. The public wants to believe in "public service" because they are afraid that power will be used wantonly. Some of your competitors are prosecutors. They will sympathize with you as a fellow politician, while they send you to jail to gain support for themselves. You must never provide any proof that you are in this for yourself, or you will be sunk.

There is a bit of risk, but not out of line with the other risks you have taken. A few unlucky politicians go to jail. You could be in an auto accident tomorrow, or have a nasty confrontation with a deranged constituent. It may help to imagine your friends and competitors pointing and laughing if you manage to be poor when you retire from politics.

I think the public in general needs to be given more opportunity to find out what our govt is spending money on and more voice in saying "stop!"

For one thing, if we're giving money to other contries to help keep people from starving, ok, but if we're giving money to countries who hate us so that the people in charge can buy nicer jets and keep hating us, forget it.

Doesn't anyone remember TARP. The thing that still sticks in my craw is SEC. 503. EXEMPTION FROM EXCISE TAX FOR CERTAIN WOODEN ARROWS DESIGNED FOR USE BY CHILDREN

This just corrected for the excise tax and duty taxes on arrows that are either manufactured domestically or overseas. (link below.) I have no problem with the correction -- but why was it needed in the first place?

Now my question -- why is there a special tax on arrows (and bows) in the first f'ing place? If I go hunt a turkey, deer, boar, or other wild game I am already spending money on the hunting license, clothing to hunt in, the cost of the bow (which can be $$$$)and the rest of the associated gear. So I, and my neighbors, take wild game to subsidize our larders. Does that mean I need a special tax above the normal sales tax?

The day you can explain it to me -- I'll buy you a bottle of your favorite drink.

If you think a VAT is the answer -- you are deluded. And that would be on top of the income tax that you are already paying. You think the fed would give up income tax and switch to a VAT only -- You have no grasp of reality.

Until we get back to a fed that is small, limited, and constitutional we are so hosed.

books.google.com/books?id=MuBNGjy5o6AC&pg=PA22826&lpg=PA22826&dq=excise+tax+hunting+arrows&source=bl&ots=TzLmPmvZrx&sig=Y6W9Gr9W3Geas7YIQCgfoClqLgE&hl=en&ei=kgnWTJS4ENGgngfW6_m6CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=excise%20tax%20hunting%20arrows&f=false

I think the worst part of taxes at times is how they sell it to the people.

Look we have this problem (Global Warming, Debt) and we need some money to solve it. Hmm okay go some of the people so they agree. Tax comes in. People go how is the problem, solved yet, getting solved. Nope goes the politician. What about the money you took from us. Oh that we decided to spend it on something else. Thanks for the money! But dang we still have the problem goes the politician. We need some more money to solve it. So we are either going to raise the tax or make a new one. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

For one thing, if we're giving money to other contries to help keep people from starving, ok,

NO, NO, NO, NOT OK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Haiti_(orthographic_projection).svg

Actually click on the link and look at the damn picture.

The earthquake affected the WHOLE island, so why does only Haiti need so much help?

The idiots slashed an burned their forests, leading to an endless cycle of mudslides, earthquakes happen all the time(document all the way back to the spanish invasion and conquest of the island) yet their government refused to ever institue rational building codes in preperation,

Its been know for decades that they would never be able to respond to a major, or even a moderate, natural disaster.

Billions of dollars in aid for 10 million people (only 1 million of which lost their homes offically). ANd still nothing gets done, and when they commit crimes against each other its the UN's, and the US's fault for not providing enough protection.

At what point do we have to stop taking care of people in other countires to stupid and apathetic to look after themselves?

I'm already sick of footing the bill for the stupid and apathetic in this country

I'm at the point that foreign aid is worth ignoring for right now.

Cut the budget by 20% across the board. If you don't have the people capable of doing the job -- get rid of them.

Hey, start locally. Chances are, you have a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum coming around every election cycle.

It's time for you to ask why that is necessary. Properly set up, a tax is a percentage of the traffic in a venue to pay for the administration of THAT venue.

That means that you have somehow been de-pantsed by poor spending practices anytime a SPLOST is proposed.

I just got back from several days in LA.

The tax rate on the rental car?

40%