"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society,"

"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society," claims a reader. "They're like dues to a country club. The price of admission. If we are to have common goods -- roads, national parks, a social safety net, public education or a war (which I oppose) -- all have to be paid for. Rangel's approach to reduce taxes on the majority of people while restoring the tax rates to the richest among us seems to me to be a good plan. Those of us who are fortunate enough to do well in this society have an obligation to pay our fair share.
"Would I change some of the places the money is spent? Of course. But I am happy to pay for the privilege of living in the U.S., though I hate the hassle and the paperwork."
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Sound Of Cannons can't figure out which of your letters is more offensive or ignorant. You both have the idea exactly ass-backwards: Taxes are the price we pay for our FAILURE to be civilized. We do not exist to serve the government, but the other way around. If we want common goods, we should be civilized enough to provide them. But being civilized requires people to act. Most people would rather have the government do their dirty work. Consequently, we have the most asinine and labyrinthine tax code history has ever seen.
Besides, Rangel's approach is just not smart. His theory of government requires you to punish people for being successful and to extract what he perceives to be someone else's "fair" share at the point of a gun. It's not likely to be a very popular plan. And he'll have to make all kinds of concessions to get it passed. Hence the fetid pit of corruption Congress has become.
The Republicans in office are much more clever: They understand power. They spend money whenever they want -- and do whatever they want with it -- without asking anyone's permission... and stick the bill on future generations. If you question them, they tie you up in court. It's much easier. Those voters who'll have to pay for their plans haven't been born yet. They don't complain as much.