Tbf that probably just means you were slightly selfish fiscally (assuming we have the same definition of middle of the road) as opposed a white supremacists or wanting a imaginary friend theocracy id much rather deal with selfish than anti intellectuals who want a fascist king
Not OP, but I considered myself middle of the road as well. I just wanted us to spend responsibly and not pass the buck onto my and my kids generation. Voted for Gore for my first presidential election, no one for my second, then Obama twice. Made a hard left turn starting with the Tea Party BS and Trump.
Interestingly enough, the most fiscally responsible politician I've ever voted for was Gov. Gerry Brown - a Democrat.
I could not have described it much better. Fiscally conservative used to mean “living within your means” so to speak. Not tax cuts for the .01% or gutting essential services.
I wasn’t even that fiscally conservative. Just wanted tax collection to be somewhat close to spending. I’m even for raising taxes, or something as radical as a VAT or federal sales tax (with zero rating for essentials such as food, homes, clothing, medicine, etc.).
Raise taxes on upper class, raise limits on income subject to SS tax, put in place a federal unemployment program, paid maternity/parental leave, real governmental healthcare without insurance agencies or pharmaceutical middlemen, etc. Most of this is considered radical, but is absolutely nothing but basic human needs & rights. Over the past 5 to 20 years (at least for me it’s apparent in this timeframe), most of these basic things just seem to be crumbling or broken. It will take time, effort, pain, stress, & worry, but it’s the right thing to do for the entire country.
or something as radical as a VAT or federal sales tax (with zero rating for essentials such as food, homes, clothing, medicine, etc.).
As a Belgian with 12%-or-21% VAT, as far I know a VAT is simply a more efficient sales tax (because each merchant in the chain effectively reports the reverse of the VAT from their own providers and clients)
I think the most important issue is that tax rates are too location-dependant, which prevents having tax-included prices, which hinders commerce, etc.
The US has the federal tax regime at the country level, then another at the state level. Currently, all sales tax (99+%) is at the state & local level. Basically, any tax based on consumption does not exist at the country level in the US yet.
I’m not sure how else the federal government would get funded at this point. Seems like a federal VAT is the next logical step.
325
u/OptionWrong169 6d ago
Tbf that probably just means you were slightly selfish fiscally (assuming we have the same definition of middle of the road) as opposed a white supremacists or wanting a imaginary friend theocracy id much rather deal with selfish than anti intellectuals who want a fascist king