Tax the Rich?

by Valerie Pierzina

Taxing the nameless, faceless, abstract “rich” is always a popular notion that tends to poll well with the American public. Aside getting into the semantics of identifying exactly what the definition of “rich” is, I ask a much simpler, more basic question. Despite where the Federal Government gets it, can they really be trusted with any more of our money, regardless of where it came from?! I would guess the collective answer to this question is a resounding NO, regardless of your party affiliation or income class. While it may be tempting to go along with President Obama on this so-called “Buffet Tax” on the rich you must first question why the Federal Government would suddenly be wise and responsible with taxpayers money, be those taxpayers “rich” or not. The best example of this waste of taxpayer’s hard earned money is the Solyndra scandal. The green energy company Solyndra was given $535 million in “stimulus” funds by the Obama administration, thanks to American taxpayers. The Bush administration had previously denied a loan to this company due to the company’s already precarious financial footing, an air of desperation among its executives, and risk of bankruptcy. Bankruptcy indeed happened, but not before over a ½ billion dollars was given to the company as part of President Obama’s failed “stimulus program” and equally disappointing “green jobs initiative.” President Obama and Vice-President Biden personally touted Solyndra as not only the future of green energy, but also of green job creation. Jobs were not created, in fact, the company’s doors are now closed, with more than 1,100 of its employees out of work, and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars wasted. So, before you give in to the drumbeat of “tax the rich” why not stop to ponder why exactly the government needs more of our money in the first place? Why are our elected officials attempting to simply redirect blame rather than come up with real solutions? And, why are they trying to pit Americans against one another in what amounts to nothing more than class warfare? I think you all know the answer.