taxes

[musiclife]

why should the people who didnt screw up their life pay taxes for the people who did

[secretspirit]

We shouldn't have to but we do (I'm not at all bitter and twisted, can you tell). I'll except to be hung, drawn and quartered for this but you can usually tell by which political party someone supports whether they are on the giving or taking side!

[Sylday]

I'm not sure which particular aspect of taxation you're thinking of. But generally there are lots of swings and roundabouts in life, so part of your taxes may go to someone who has screwed up their life, but part of someone else's taxes may come to you in other ways and/or at other times. We all go through bad patches - illness, accident, nervous breakdown, or just getting old - and when that happens other people's taxes help us out. Also, people don't stayed "screwed up" forever - hopefully, the benefit they receive helps them straighten their life out, and they then themselves start to pay taxes which go to help others suffering misfortune. It's natural for us not to enjoy paying taxes, and nobody is saying that the system is perfect, but a society where taxation did not exist would be so harsh and individualistic that it would hardly be a society at all.

[bernardo]

Because the alternative would be an uncivilised uncohesive society in which the unfortunate ened up starving in the gutter and dyiung of easily curable ailments.

[zgma]

I think the assumption that the people receiving social services "screwed up their lives" is flawed... I am where I am today, and able to pay the taxes I do, because my parents were well off enough to spend lots of time with me rather than working two jobs each, send me to a good university, and generally give me a good start in life. On top of that, I am white, which means that I don't have to fight against racial prejudice to get a high quality job. Some people who need social services are on drugs... they are partially to blame, and partially victims of the cultures they are part of that glorify the use of drugs as a way to escape. Some are in impossible situations, such as being single parents and having no way to work enough to pay for childcare as well as the rest of life's expenses. I think that in most cases, there are real obstacles that have kept people back and made them need social services. So I am happy for my tax dollars to go to social services. The real question for me is, why should my taxes go to making bombs to blow up Iraqi civilians?

[jills]

was going to reply to this, then read zgma's reply. Got to agree with what they said.........and Bernardo. Seems the question is from someone who's been very lucky in their life thus far, and should be thankful that they have never needed support via tax money of any form......hope you and secretspirit are always this fortunate but that you can have greater sympathy for those who are not.

[number8]

I don't like paying taxes (who does?), but I am obviously realistic enough to realise that they are an inevitability. I dislike exhorbitant amount of taxes I am forced to pay under this executive, but that is an entirely different argument. I am perfectly happy for my taxes to help those that can't work, such as the examples given in Sylday's answer. However, I detest the fact that my taxes also pay for people who choose not to work: In my area of the country (Kent/Sussex border), unless you are unable to work, there is no reason not to have a job: those people that choose not to work are bone idle workshy parasites, and it is this that I find utterly objectionable.

[secretspirit]

That was my point but I didn't explain myself. In the job I do I get to hear the life stories of many people of how they deliberately got pregnant before they left school so they never had to work, have a baby every 5 years so that they never have all their kids at school and therefore "can't work" or are registered disabled and yet you see them in town etc and they seem to be well enough to do everything except have a job. In the case of genuinely disabled people I am sympathetic and don't think that they should be left financially destitute but for everyone else you make your own luck and laziness is not a reason to get money for nothing! Both my parents worked full time throughout my life and taught me that you have to work for everything you'll ever own and neither they nor any member of my whole family has ever claimed benefits despite financial struggles and I'm proud of that.

[jills]

commendable secret spirit, but to not claim any benefits you are entitled to, despite financial struggle, seems a bit daft. Why allow yourself or your family to suffer more than necessary when you are entitled to help which you have previously paid taxes for? P.S. I usually vote Lib Dem...what exactly does that tell you about me???

[secretspirit]

Well they claimed child benefit (the �15pw that everyone is entitle to) to help with the shopping bills but not any type of income/means tested benefits. All I can say is they always made sure that they earned the money one way or another and I don't remember suffering for it! And of course you're entitled to vote anyway you choose - I'm pleased that people are still voting whoever they vote for. Although the LD's want to raise income tax so I can't say I'm a fan ;-)