When White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was questioned about President Obama's statement that no Americans who make under $250,000 a year would have their taxes raised a cent, he responded that "People make a decision to smoke.  People get on airlines and pay taxes to land a plane at O'Hare or in Washington.  Those people also got a tax cut.  I don't know how much they smoke."

     His point seems to be that becuase the tax on smoking is levied on something not absolutely essential to human survival, it doesn't really count because a person could in theory stop smoking or flying on airlines.

     Obama also had a choice.  He could do everything that he could to insure that no tax he created would impact low-income citizens, or he could place surcharges on nonessential items and blame taxpayers for not jumping through the hoops.  If he increases taxes on gasoline, will he use this logic?  "Well, people make a decision to drive.  I don't know how much they drive."

     I'm curious;  How does Robert Gibbs define a tax?  If a tax is only a tax if it cannot possibly avoided, then is no such thing as tax.  After all, people make choices to live in houses and pay property taxes, to invest and pay capital gains taxes, and to make money and pay income tax.  And if they are not taxes, what are they?

     Robert Gibbs was wrong:  America didn't get a tax cut.  People could choose not to make any money to avoid the income tax so it's not really a tax.  In the spirit of the Overseas Contingency Operation, I propose a new name for these so-called taxes:  Voluntary Federal Donations.  And I also propose that they be made tax-deductible.

This being my first post, I feel it would be helpful to give you and myself an idea of what this blog is going to be.  This blog will not focus on trivial arguments or daily news events.  It is not my goal to imitate any number of other news organizations and blogs that offer up-to-the-minute details of current events.  It is, however, my goal to use well-known events and quotes as a platform to analyze the underlying issues.  My goal will be to determine what is right and what is wrong, regardless of who or what opposes my viewpoint.   I welcome civil argument and refuse to respond to flame.