Santa Angelina > Saint Bono

Scott, you’re giving me too much fuel, and I just don’t have the time! First, I can’t speak for what I may have thought 10 years ago; I can only speak for what I think now. Secondly, I can’t speak on behalf of “republicans” or “conservatives”; all I can speak for is myself. Finally, let’s not obfuscate the issue; this isn’t about republicans, democrats, or libertarian views on taxation and national spending—it’s about Saint Bono’s desire to persuade my country to raise their “fund African corruption” campaign by some 467% via his celebrity status and [white guilt], while using a loophole within his own country to reduce his tax burden.

But since you asked… Yes, taxation based on consumption is the way to go. [http://www.fairtax.org/]. Second, I doubt I ever proposed the concept of no federal taxation; it’s just not possible. Limited (American) Federal Taxation for Limited (American) Federal Expenditures. With the exception of highways and national defense, you will not hear a peep out of me relative to my pet projects, as I have yet to see an efficient and effective federal program.

Saint Bono apparently believes that a country, in which he is not even a tax paying citizen, should increase their “Save Africa” campaign by 467%. (Don’t have the time to double-check my math, but I’m pretty sure that’s accurate.) And to suggest that Saint Bono never suggested that my taxes be raised for his pet project is a bit of a non sequitur. Budgeting, when done properly, is a zero sum game. You can't really control your income, but you sure as hell can control your expenditures. Saint Bono wanted the US to increase their “fund African corruption” campaign by some 467%. Any budget category increase of that proportion will have catastrophic consequences. Let's not deny reality here; either accept this reality, or call Saint Bono a fiscal idiot. I will derive different, albeit equal, pleasure from either outcome. No, I would rather you call Saint Bono a fiscal idiot; that outcome pleases me.

So when it comes down to the brass tax, Saint Bono attempted to use his celebrity status and [white guilt] to fund his pet project. He was doing so on an international level (albeit targeting the US), thereby impacting my bottom line. He chose the path of attempting forced coercion for me to fund his pet project through national funding (i.e., taxation). And all this without even being an American citizen.

And the funny thing is—why didn’t Saint Bono use his celebrity status and [white guilt] to appeal directly to the people. Bypass federal funding altogether, and collect money directly from fund raising. Saint Bono didn’t do that—perhaps because he knew it wouldn’t work. So instead, he attempts to control my pocketbook in a fashion that I cannot control. The IRS.

Saint Bono then goes and realizes that he can “protect his income” by using a loophole to bypass his own federal taxes. And again—I call shenanigans. Saint Bono is in favor of raising my taxes (the taxes of another country) for his pet project, while simultaneously being in favor of lowering his own. It seems like simple common sense, at least to me, that when one tries to coerce another into paying higher taxes for their pet projects, he should STFU when the same is tried on him. Do not impose on me what you do not impose on yourself, Saint Bono.

We may just have to agree to disagree on this one, because all I perceive is an obfuscation of the issue. This has nothing to do with my views 10 years ago, nor the views of any political party or that of a conservative or liberal movement. Your notion of fighting global terror via funding African corruption is an interesting one, but one that has not been supported with any data in which I am familiar. (And this is an entirely different discussion.) Saint Bono (a non-US citizen) should have no say as to how much I am taxed, nor should he have say as to how my tax dollars are spent; just as I have no say as to how much he is taxed, and how his Irish tax dollars are spent. But this reality does not apply to Saint Bono. Instead, he wants to incite my tax increase to fund his pet project, while using a loophole to reduce his tax burden. Shenanigans. Hypocritical Shenanigans.