Taxation issues
It turns out the skin on my backside is just fine since LGBT+ folks have been able to marry. Same with my learning to use a few preferred pronouns. I’m just fine when Black lives matter and refugees are allowed to contribute to my community and immigrants to my country’s GDP. The Affordable Care Act still stands, and I hope Social Security and Medicare survive so I can keep my backside alive in the future.
The thing that chafes my backside these days is taxation without representation. I am currently suffering from taxation without representation because I am not a lobbyist or big corporate donor to my elected officials. I’m willing to hedge a bet that readers here are also underrepresented and are suffering as well. This is common ground.
Getting money out of politics would improve the quality of American lives by putting voters on equal or — better yet — elevated ground for representation as those with the thickest wallets.
It’s complicated and I’m no scorched-earther, so I’m considering doable steps that can chip away at the oligarchy support system. It’s a study of term limits (something I’m stubbornly on the fence about), ranked choice or STAR voting to weaken the duopoly of our current overfunded, political, two-party rule, laws limiting lobbyists’ contributions and campaign finance reform (a long shot, I know).
I also wonder if letting voters and/or taxpayers direct appropriations deflate the power of lobbyist-driven interests and force politicians to address the issues voters find important.
Janet Marugg
Clarkston
