Taxes are too low in America. Now, before you ‘get your panties in a bunch,’ let’s look at some facts. The United States of America has the most billionaires in the world at 585, and less than five-percent of the world’s population. The nation in second place is China, with an estimated 266 with approximate 20 percent of the world’s population. There are, now think about this one, 10.8 million millionaires as of 2016. The average household income for a family is $51,000 per year. The poverty rate is 14.5 percent which converts to 45 million Americans.

If these figures mean nothing to you, you are at least in the upper middle class which makes between $100,000 and $300,000 per year. Low income is considered as an income of just over $47,000 per year.

If we look at the last year when all available information was available, in 2015, the average income for all Americans was $71,248. They paid 13.5 percent of their income in income tax.

The United States of America is the richest nation in the world. We are so rich that we can waste more than $93,000,000 paying our congressmen to do nothing, while failing to represent the American people, and supporting special interests; and that’s just their base salary. If you are the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, the head of a committee, etc, etc, etc, you make a lot more. And this does not include a benefits package equal to the CEO’s of major corporations.

“According to Title 3 of the US Code, the US President “shall earn” a salary of $400,000, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment.”

In Trump’s administration, his top sixteen staffers earn $176,461 annually; that is a total for just 16 employees of $2,823,376.

Republicans continue to claim that taxes are too high. Of all the statistics I just offered, only one matters; the poverty level is at 14.5 percent, and includes 45 million of America’s 320 million people. With all of the wealth I have just listed, if a single person is living in poverty, our government is nothing more than a group of criminals.

Republicans are willing to spend nearly $600,000,000,000 each year for the Pentagon, knowing that over 50 percent of it will go to waste. However, they will not spend a few million dollars on social programs which would aid low-income and impoverished Americans.

If Americans who are fortunate enough to be in the upper middle income level and above were forced to experience just a few percentage points higher in taxes, we could end poverty, and eliminate the deficit in less than a decade. They can afford to pay for their lives of privilege and luxury. At least 50 percent of working class Americans make $30,000 a year or less.

If you don’t believe that the mislabeled ‘American Dream’ is dead; look at the facts.

Economists recently reported that few millennials will be able to purchase a single family home. This group is now the largest voting bloc in America.

If you doubt my statistics, google them. The answers are there, but no one is talking about them; especially in Washington. They don’t want you to think about how much money they make and how little they do to earn it.

Every time you vote for a candidate for the House or the Senate, you are gifting another man or woman a life of little work and enormous wealth. You are not electing someone who will work for your needs and wishes, you are allowing that man or that woman to join the ‘millionaire’s club.’ This is why they ignore the polls and vote in a manner which will aid their future and the futures of their owners; the one percent.

As long as a single lobbyist remains in Washington, 64.5 percent of the American people will have no representation.

As my wife often says: “Our country is f**ked up.” I cannot tell her that she is wrong.

It’s only fair when Americans who receive all of the benefits of living in America pay for that privilege.

Here’s the final ‘wake-up call;’ your illegitimate president is reportedly worth 3,5 billion dollars; one of the ‘585;’ he does not pay one-dollar in Federal Income Tax. Who do you believe he will serve?

How much do you make each year? I don’t mind admitting that my wife and I are on a fixed income and make approximately $23,500 each year; we survive, and that’s the end of the story.

Please re-post; thank you.

Op-ed by James Turnage

Image courtesy of DonkeyHotey

My novels are available on Amazon; CLICK HERE