The need
With troops in foreign lands, and an economy in shambles, it seems to me the least patriotic thing someone could do is not pay their taxes. Complaining about tax rates, is as much a national past time as watching baseball, or eating hot dogs. But this nations need for capitol as we defend ourselves from both physical, and commercial warfare has never been more apparent. Some may complain that a majority of tax dollars may go to an unjust occupation in Iraq, and use this as an excuse to skim from their obligations. Others fight for different levels of taxation in search for what they claim to be fair. These arguments should be fought in the nations capitol, not in foreign tax shelters.
Turning the tide
The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by (our own senator) Carl Levin, held a hearing Thursday on tax haven banks and U.S. tax compliance. The committee has produced a report on its six-month-long investigation.
In reviewing a variety of case histories, the investigation found that from at least 2000 to 2007, LGT and UBS employed banking practices that facilitated tax evasion by their U.S. clients, including assisting clients to open accounts in the names of offshore entities; advising clients on complex offshore structures to hide ownership of assets; using client code names; and disguising asset transfers into and from accounts."Senator Levin estimated offshore banks deprived the US Government of $US100 billion ($102 billion) a year in taxes. The report says US clients hold about 19,000 accounts at UBS in Switzerland with an estimated $US18-$US20 billion in assets not declared to tax authorities.
Using simple math it is clear to see that Senator Levin's target is not Ma, and Pa Sixpack hiding little Timmy's lawn mowing income from the mean ol' IRS man. The use of code names, in complex structures, implies that this is not a simple mess up on the 1040 form that many working people may struggle with every year, but a blatant disregard for the same laws every red blooded American citizen must follow.
Local impact
What is untold, is the amount of money that the state of Michigan, and others in equal need are loosing through these unpatriotic actions.
People with the means to pay are depriving their own states of the ability to pay for much needed services, and obligations. Bridge, and road repair, power lines that are past due for overhaul, better care for returning guard veterans, and workers retraining programs must now be taken care of with borrowed money, or put off to some elusive "time horizon".
We must pay our dues, while arguing their use in the ballot box.
Regardless of ones point of view on unjust wars, and levels of taxation, the money continues to be spent by our federal government. Every dollar withheld from U.S. coffers will be borrowed from outside sources. This will leave a larger debt for future generations, and a weakening U.S. economy.
What may begin as civil disobedience, will end in generational warfare.
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