"Our aim, to swat liars and leeches, hypocrites & humbugs, demagogs & dastards"
-- The Yellow Jacket
Moravian Falls, N.C., 1919
Sunday, July 22, 2007
The shadow economy
The Big Sky Business Journal considers the possibility that Montana's underground economy is twice as large as in other states.
10 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Oh HELL yes! Let's go AFTER them poor bastards workin' for money under the table! I mean, SOMEBODY'S got pony up for them tax breaks for the rich outta staters and the coporate fascists! I think that we ought'a go door to door! And maybe a little time in the crowbar hotel for them poor bastards for trying to feed their families! It's the american way! (p.s. everyone whoever's worked for money under the table, raise your hand)
Well, no, actually I was thinking about all those guys I know who draw umeployment all winter and STILL work under that table! Hell, I don't begrudge'em that. Or all the guys I know who have to work under the table to hide out for one reason or another. (ie. credit card debt) And all the people I know who must work under the table in order to make enough to survive. Nope. I actually wasn't thinking of myself at all when I wrote that. For you see, I don't need to do that. I'm one of the lucky ones. And no, there is NO tax money involved in my job.
Well, actually, I know a lot of poor people. Is it dishonest to work under the table? I don't think so. I have no problem with it what-so-ever. Do you? Why? The dick,cheney, got FORTY MILLION DOLLARS when he left halliburton to become vp. Now THAT'S crime, NOT the poor sap workin' for a little money under the table. But alas, now you can give plasma at Biolife and make up to 240 a month! Good news.
Don’t get the underground economy mixed up with the black market! There’s nothing illegal about the underground economy. There’s no law against doing work for cash or barter. The black market is where you go to buy cigarettes and gasoline and anything else the government has taxed to death. And remember black markets are created by governments with their high taxes...
So long as taxes are ridiculously high only idiots will pay them. I know smart people who say they won’t go higher than a 10% effective tax rate. That’s their limit. After that they tell the government to kiss off. If they get hit with some unfair tax they take it right off some other tax they owe. It’s like the government and the people picking each others pockets.
The only way to wipe out the underground economy and the black market is to stop stealing money from hardworking people through unfair and excessive taxation.
It's just another recognition of the two economies in this country, the one that runs with the international crowd and those who depend on the local angle. Some of that I'm sure is under the table cash. But there is also some of that which is not required to be reportable because the people who collect it don't earn enough to pay taxes. That is the problem with all the economists: they don't seem to realize just how much many people in the local economy make.
I just love Larry’s rationales for evading taxes. Now he claims poor people are exempt from the law! Oh no wait. It’s okay to cheat on your taxes because Dick Cheney received $40 million from Halliburton.
Did Cheney pay his taxes on that income? Conveniently, Larry does not say. But somehow in Larry’s upside-down world when one man makes a lot of money then it’s permissible for a poor man to break the law.
In case Larry’s logic escapes you: Being wealthy is a crime; therefore, in a truly egalitarian society, poor people should be allowed to commit crimes even though they lack wealth. Or something like that...
10 comments:
Oh HELL yes! Let's go AFTER them poor bastards workin' for money under the table! I mean, SOMEBODY'S got pony up for them tax breaks for the rich outta staters and the coporate fascists! I think that we ought'a go door to door! And maybe a little time in the crowbar hotel for them poor bastards for trying to feed their families! It's the american way! (p.s. everyone whoever's worked for money under the table, raise your hand)
Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers!
It figures your basic under-the-table-summer-worker school teacher would be the first to complain, while the rest of the year they live off taxes.
Well, no, actually I was thinking about all those guys I know who draw umeployment all winter and STILL work under that table! Hell, I don't begrudge'em that. Or all the guys I know who have to work under the table to hide out for one reason or another. (ie. credit card debt) And all the people I know who must work under the table in order to make enough to survive. Nope. I actually wasn't thinking of myself at all when I wrote that. For you see, I don't need to do that. I'm one of the lucky ones. And no, there is NO tax money involved in my job.
LK
For a guy who claims to be so honest, you sure know a lot of dishonest people.
Well, actually, I know a lot of poor people. Is it dishonest to work under the table? I don't think so. I have no problem with it what-so-ever. Do you? Why? The dick,cheney, got FORTY MILLION DOLLARS when he left halliburton to become vp. Now THAT'S crime, NOT the poor sap workin' for a little money under the table. But alas, now you can give plasma at Biolife and make up to 240 a month! Good news.
LK
Don’t get the underground economy mixed up with the black market! There’s nothing illegal about the underground economy. There’s no law against doing work for cash or barter. The black market is where you go to buy cigarettes and gasoline and anything else the government has taxed to death. And remember black markets are created by governments with their high taxes...
So long as taxes are ridiculously high only idiots will pay them. I know smart people who say they won’t go higher than a 10% effective tax rate. That’s their limit. After that they tell the government to kiss off. If they get hit with some unfair tax they take it right off some other tax they owe. It’s like the government and the people picking each others pockets.
The only way to wipe out the underground economy and the black market is to stop stealing money from hardworking people through unfair and excessive taxation.
It's just another recognition of the two economies in this country, the one that runs with the international crowd and those who depend on the local angle. Some of that I'm sure is under the table cash. But there is also some of that which is not required to be reportable because the people who collect it don't earn enough to pay taxes. That is the problem with all the economists: they don't seem to realize just how much many people in the local economy make.
I have to work under the table to pay my State income tax so Glenn Fink doenst have to.
I just love Larry’s rationales for evading taxes. Now he claims poor people are exempt from the law! Oh no wait. It’s okay to cheat on your taxes because Dick Cheney received $40 million from Halliburton.
Did Cheney pay his taxes on that income? Conveniently, Larry does not say. But somehow in Larry’s upside-down world when one man makes a lot of money then it’s permissible for a poor man to break the law.
In case Larry’s logic escapes you: Being wealthy is a crime; therefore, in a truly egalitarian society, poor people should be allowed to commit crimes even though they lack wealth. Or something like that...
I see it every week.
John (not a real name) digs a basement for Joe (not a real name) and Joe repairs Johns porch roof for free.
There is an enormouse underground economy like that in Montana.
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