So, instead of paying a bit of income tax, he is now picking up taxpayers money instead - but the government is still saving money on one side of the balance sheet and not telling us the rest.
The idea that a government worker "pays" taxes is symptomatic of the economic ignorance underlying "government services" in the first place. The hypothetical lawn guy is paid by the government in the first place. His entire wage is a net tax payout. Having this person "pay" taxes has the same effect, for him, as cutting his wages, but from the government's position, taxing him adds yet more bureaucracy and overhead to manage the tax accounting for the lawn guy.
No matter how you slice it, the lawn guy is a net tax consumer. He will never be a net tax payer in any sense other than someone's economic fantasies.
Credits & Style Info
Talk Politics. A place to discuss politics without egomaniacal mods
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Economic ignorance -- popular can also be wrong
Date: 7/4/11 14:23 (UTC)The idea that a government worker "pays" taxes is symptomatic of the economic ignorance underlying "government services" in the first place. The hypothetical lawn guy is paid by the government in the first place. His entire wage is a net tax payout. Having this person "pay" taxes has the same effect, for him, as cutting his wages, but from the government's position, taxing him adds yet more bureaucracy and overhead to manage the tax accounting for the lawn guy.
No matter how you slice it, the lawn guy is a net tax consumer. He will never be a net tax payer in any sense other than someone's economic fantasies.