The movement is growing (link and link). Left-wing writers, such as Steve Benen in this Washington Monthly article seem to be getting nervous. I can just see the beads of sweat emerging from his furrowed brow as he penned this weak attempt at marginalizing those of us who are joining the movement:
Some very strange conservatives, faced with the prospect of a modest increase in the marginal top rate, see us creating real-life John Galts. We’re supposed to find that terrifying, of course, since the same Wall Street titans who destroyed our economy might be tempted to leave their jobs and take up menial labor.
If the Left is fighting us, we must be doing something correctly. My wife and I have cut back massively, and are living primarily on her small salary. My Custom A/V business is being scaled back and reworked to survive on under $800,000 in sales per year. Because of this, unfortunately, we are unable to hire the two or three people we originally required within the next twelve months. Those who have small businesses know the absurd levels of taxation we face, from federal, state, and local governments.
What Benen fails to realize is that the proposed top rate of 39.6% is just the tip of the…ummm…spear. We know that it will not be enough to cover the Obama Administration’s expenses. Not by a long shot. Additional “sacrifices” will be required, and “our fair share” will be redefined again. The producers in this country need to stand up to this. We need to make it known to all in power that taking from us to give to those who didn’t produce it, or any other unworthy expense, is the equivalent of theft – we are sick of it. 39.6% does not include state and local income taxes. It does not include sales tax or payroll tax or the tax on my cigarettes or any of the other hundreds of taxes lurking behind every good or service.
However, “Going Galt” will require something beyond limiting income, or not expanding your business. It is going to require limiting taxes on those goods and services we use. I propose that a barter system be implemented between, for lack of a better term, Galters. Goods and services can be traded between multiple members for the maximum benefit of those engaged, yet in a way to minimize reportable income and taxes.
I, for example, have been an Audio/Video and Low Voltage Systems integration specialist for 23 years. Someone out there with, say, a lighting control system that requires help, and an auto repair business, could trade my labor for the service on my 2001 BMW 740iL (I need a new ignition switch and navigation control box). Of course, taking this across the country would require something more complicated than just this type of local barter. Those are just details at this point.
I’m sure there are also possibly rules against this sort of behavior, so we need the system’s design to be blessed by a couple of accountants and tax attorneys. Surely we can come up with something that solves the problem of providing needs, minimizing income, minimizing taxes, keeping people out of jail.
I look forward to the development of this idea.
Update:
Robert McCain at The Other McCain wrote a better explanation than I ever could behind the reasons for Going Galt. Read them here, especially if all you think we’re doing is throwing some sort of capitalist temper tantrum.
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