What is this REPRESENTATION WITHOUT TAXATION thing?

Folks at the Cafe came back to coffee still mulling over silly things like freedom, liberty, justice, and stuff that were kicking up dust during the 4th of July Weekend. Butch Jackson is well known for his frugal ways being the next to the last guy to be apt to pick up a check for group coffee (right behind the likes of post office or other semi-government employees). So it wasn't surprising to hear Butch reflect on taxes and the recently celebrated American Revolution, "Don't ever forget the big issue in those days was being taxed without a 'say so' in how the tax money is spent. They called it TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. It was a really big deal to the colony folks, and particularly the land owners and business guys."


"Yep," retorted Billy Roy Mitchum, "And look at us today some 230 years later. We have come full circle. Ever sense our guys fought to gain freedom and justice from the Brits this whole 'representation' thing has become sacred. The main way we are represented is by voting. There has been a concentrated effort to get every citizen, and some that aren't, to the polls. Hell, that was the main job of our current resident in the White House. He was a 'community organizer'. These organizers are mostly people, like Obama, of means who go into poor areas and get people to sign up and vote for their candidates. This is a major way the 'elite' control elections. When they get their candidates into office in one of these districts they are usually 'safe' from being defeated ever again. In fact they are called 'safe districts'. Pukes like Pelosi and Barney Frank come from safe districts.  Politicians can do a lot of damage to our way of life when they don't have to worry about having to defend themselves in future elections. This thing called 'term limits' is their worst fear since it would stop the corruption that comes with unchallenged politicians."

Of course Butch came back in on the tax thing, "I hear you loud and clear, BM. So in 230 years it seems to me we have gone from TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION to REPRESENTATION WITHOUT TAXATION. For example, in the great State of Texas our schools are financed by real estate taxes from home owners. Homeowners represent 47% of the voters and shrinking. The majority of voters, that being about 53%, pay no school taxes. Yet, they can control the tax rates, spending, and distribution of revenues collected from the home owners. The same is true with income taxes. Very soon the majority of Americans will pay zero taxes, and yet they have full voting rights. Our founding fathers are flopping in their graves I am sure to see how far we have come. Most folks think women got the right to vote in 1920 with women's suffrage. The truth is in the state of New Jersey women had the same rights as men to vote in 1776. But, a big but, both had to be land owners. Our founders believed voters needed to have skin in the game to play the game."

Mom felt moved to participate, "Seems in our current 'Obama World' we have Socialist not only at the bottom of our society who want rights without paying any of the bills, and then we have these Socialists at the top that we call elitists or crony capitalists (folks like Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and Wall Street) who want to use the government to protect their fortunes while the middle class are footing the bill. I am beginning for the first time to understand why people like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Warren Buffet (Berkshire Hathaway), George Soros, and Robert Rubin (Goldman Sachs and 80% of Wall Street) are such big time Obama supporters. If they screw up, Obama will bail them out.  Also, he protects their monopolies from the middle class while letting them play a major role in the governing elite. The tea party movement seems to be a wake up call, and I just hope it is strong enough and has staying power to turn the country around."

Well, coffee ended with a resounding,  "AMEN".

As much as I agree with Mom, and always have, I must admit that both of us are beginning to forget things that we never even knew.

Think about it,

Jim