RE: narrow-minded views on taxes

["Paul Hopfgarten" <paul@03038.com>]

Mr Read:

YOU give it a rest. Does one wrong action OK another wrong action. I realise
this listserve leans left-of-center, and so be it. I simply submit that I am
not in favor of a radio service being operated (to a significant extent) by
direct government $$.

Clear Channnel (et al) that get tax breaks (whatever they may be) are
getting INDIRECT $$ in that it is money NOT paid vs money PAID OUT.

Also, it is quite clear the Tax Code needs to be overhauled to a major
extent. Far to often in this Country, we use Tax law to enforce our morality
upon others. I won't go on, suffice to say I take the Libertarion view of
Taxation, generally.

Paul Hopfgarten
PO Box 279
East Derry NH 03041
(V) 603-426-5159
(F) 603-437-7080
(C) 603-571-5445
paul@03038.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org
> [mailto:owner-boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org]On Behalf Of Aaron
> [Bishop] Read
> Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 1:25 PM
> To: boston-radio-interest@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu
> Subject: RE: narrow-minded views on taxes
>
>
> At 05:34 PM 9/3/2002, Paul Hopfgarten wrote:
> >As has been said by others here before, it's that my tax $$ pay
> for NPR that
> >I resent. If a network privately held wishes to operate NPR, then your
> >advice is not only well placed, but would certainly be heeded.
> >
> >Paul Hopfgarten
> >East Derry NH 03041
>
> Oh give it a god damn rest Paul.   That's such a narrow-minded
> argument I'm
> almost ashamed to be on the same listserv...
>
> Your taxes, and mine, and everybody's, pay for NPR.   A rather small
> portion of it I might add, but I'll admit some money goes there.
> ...AND...
> Your taxes, and mine, and everybody's, pay for Clear
> Channel...through the
> tax breaks and incentives they weasel their way into.
> ...AND...
> Your taxes, and mine, and everybody's, pay for the Big Dig, which
> you might
> arguably enjoy more than I since, by virtue of you being in NH, you're
> slightly more likely to drive on I-93 than I am (I'm almost exclusively a
> MassPike & Rt.128 highway driver)
> ...AND...
> Your taxes, and mine, and everybody's, pay for electricity, and
> the phones,
> and water (if you're on town water), and paving the roads, clearing the
> roads...all through our Federal taxes subsidizing the states' own tax
> infrastructure.
> ...AND...
> Your taxes, and mine, and everybody's, pay for the MBTA (yes, they get
> Federal subsidies, too) even though we don't all use the T and
> the Commuter
> Rail.
> ...AND...
> Your taxes, and mine, and everybody's, pay for Raytheon to make weapons
> that kill more efficiently in wars we don't all believe in.
>
> the list goes on and on and on...
>
> The bottom line is that our government's system of taxation and
> redistribution dilutes your individual contribution to the point where
> saying you don't like something because "your taxes are paying
> for it" is a
> load of hogwash.  Your taxes are paying for a lot of things you don't
> like.  And for a lot of things you DO like.  And more likely than
> not, your
> concept of what you do and do not like is vastly different from everyone
> else's.
>
> If you don't like it, vote for a candidate that'll change it in the next
> election.  If you did that and they didn't win, get out there and
> organize
> a group of like-minded supporters.  If there's no candidate who you like,
> run for office yourself.
>
> Why yes, I have been hanging out with gubernatorial candidtates' staff
> lately...why do you ask?  :-)
>
> ____________________________________________
> Aaron "Bishop" Read     aread@speakeasy.net
> FriedBagels.com Technical Consulting
> www.friedbagels.com   AOL-IM: ReadAaron
>