Spring Break
Death and taxes: The only certainties in life
Freesia Singngam
Issue date: 11/3/08 Section: Election Special
Benjamin Franklin is responsible for the famous quote, "In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
He wrote this in a letter right after the establishment of the Constitution, and 219 years later, as the nation continues to interpret and reinterpret the Constitution and the limits of governmental power, his quote still holds true.
Candidates, for years, have run on platforms of lowering taxes, and for years, this has appealed to voters. No one likes to pay them, but taxes are inevitable. They're necessary to cover the cost of various programs, including public education and municipal public works. Right now, they're necessary because the nation is burdened with an enormous debt, and it's in a state where banks and businesses are failing and need to be bailed out.
Americans are currently facing an especially difficult time because the economy is in a recession. They're losing their jobs as businesses are suffering from falling stocks and failing loans, and the last thing hard-working Americans want to do is share what earnings they've made. No one in power in either our federal or state governments actually wants to tax those who are in trouble financially, but this is a catch-22 situation - with more people in bad financial situations, the government steps in more to provide aid for them and the businesses that employ them.
As we near the presidential election, it is crucial to understand the economic policies and tax plans of the candidates. It is important to decide which plans are actually feasible, and which ones will help the nation as a whole.
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D- Ill.) have both advocated new health care plans, which both sound very government-subsidized. McCain has said he would like to give $5,000 back to people to choose their own health care plans and leave regulation to the states. Obama has said that health care is a right that all Americans should have.
He wrote this in a letter right after the establishment of the Constitution, and 219 years later, as the nation continues to interpret and reinterpret the Constitution and the limits of governmental power, his quote still holds true.
Candidates, for years, have run on platforms of lowering taxes, and for years, this has appealed to voters. No one likes to pay them, but taxes are inevitable. They're necessary to cover the cost of various programs, including public education and municipal public works. Right now, they're necessary because the nation is burdened with an enormous debt, and it's in a state where banks and businesses are failing and need to be bailed out.
Americans are currently facing an especially difficult time because the economy is in a recession. They're losing their jobs as businesses are suffering from falling stocks and failing loans, and the last thing hard-working Americans want to do is share what earnings they've made. No one in power in either our federal or state governments actually wants to tax those who are in trouble financially, but this is a catch-22 situation - with more people in bad financial situations, the government steps in more to provide aid for them and the businesses that employ them.
As we near the presidential election, it is crucial to understand the economic policies and tax plans of the candidates. It is important to decide which plans are actually feasible, and which ones will help the nation as a whole.
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D- Ill.) have both advocated new health care plans, which both sound very government-subsidized. McCain has said he would like to give $5,000 back to people to choose their own health care plans and leave regulation to the states. Obama has said that health care is a right that all Americans should have.
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