THE CONSERVATIVE VIEW

BY RUSSELL TURNER

WHAT PERCENTAGE?

We humans have many emotions, some good some bad. At this time of year we often hear about peace on earth and good will toward men. While that sounds good, far too often we allow negative emotions to creep into our daily lives. Anyone who has watched the news reports of the day after Thanksgiving shopping spree will understand part of what I am talking about. In some places shoppers were risking life and limb just to find a few bargains. Greed and envy are far more prevalent than we would like to admit.

Our economic system was created to be capitalistic.  In such a system we must realize that there will always be someone who has more money that you or I have. While some people have the idea that the government should devise a tax system to bring everyone down to the same level, I do not prescribe to that idea. People with money are the driving force to build the economy. Instead of demanding that our government be more punitive to people earning money, maybe we should look at their good fortune as an opportunity to make money from them by providing a service or product that they might need.

For years some politicians have exploited the emotion of envy.  You will hear an elected official screaming to make someone “pay their fair share”. I recently read a quote by U.S. congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., who will take over as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.  He wants to hold hearings on "How do you do a better job of sharing overall economic growth with the average worker?" and calls this the "No. 1 problem" facing the country. With this mentality we now have one of the most convoluted and difficult tax systems the world has ever seen. I do not know anyone who really understands all of our tax code.

Sometimes we fail to see the forest for the trees. Recently a friend of mine brought up a very relevant fact about taxes. Our country was founded upon the Judeo-Christian values. Speaking from a Biblical sense, God himself only requires that we tithe 10% of our earnings regardless of whether we are rich or poor. I can assume that God must believe in a flat tax and a government not being the determining factor of people’s finances.