I'd dare say most of those in attendance at the Bag Rally are Republican persuasion.
Though curiously, I'd dare say there's probably not even one of 'em that have read the report about Alabama's upsidedown tax structure that taxes the well-to-do less than the poor.
Why, they've probably not even heard about it, the author or organization which received the report.
They probably know even less about the author.
I'm referring, of course, to none other than Susan Pace Hamill, whom is also a graduate of Beeson Divinity School.
With such titles of her papers reading as "An Evaluation of Federal Tax Policy Based on Judeo-Christian Ethics," "A Moral Perspective on 'Big Business' Fair Share of America's Tax Burden," and "The Vast Injustice Perpetuated by State and Local Tax Policy" and published in Hofstra Law Review, Virginia Tax Review and others, how could those Baggers be so ignorant?
I'll bet (if Governor Riley won't have me arrested, gangland style and prosecuted) that Susan Pace Hamill wasn't there!
This excerpt from her paper entitled "Seek Justice" - which I believe was delivered in 2002 - sums up rather succinctly the whole stinkin' matter.
"Why do tax laws potentially raise moral issues of justice under the Old and New Testaments? All communities must raise a pool of revenue for the common good. All of us want to feed from the common trough benefit from good roads, police and fire protection, good schools, but none of us want to contribute our share of the revenues to provide these benefits. This attitude stems from basic human greed, which we all have to some degree due to the effects of the Fall as revealed in the third chapter of Genesis. Because none of us would pay our fair share of tax voluntarily the arm of the law must compel taxes and impose penalties for failure to pay. Due to the involuntary nature of taxation justice in that area is a very important measurement of a community’s moral well being.
"In Alabama our tax laws do not even come close to meeting the standards of justice the teachings of Jesus demand. Oppressive state and local taxes extract a greater proportional burden from the poorest Alabamians than from those of us with a greater ability to pay. Inadequate tax revenues leave our public schools and other community infrastructures in such poor shape our most vulnerable citizens have no minimum chance to escape poverty and improve their lives. And there are too many examples of wasteful misuse of the inadequate funds we have. We are responsible for this injustice because our government is a product of our participation or lack there of. How our government treats “the least of these” reflects who we really are.
"Alabama stands at a crossroads - a real fork in the road. We can go one of two ways.
"If we continue to turn away from God, if we fail to “seek justice”, if we fail to wake up out of our apathy, the enormous gap between who we say we are and who we really are will continue to grow. And greed and fear will eventually condemn our entire community.
"However if we turn towards God and “seek justice” that gap will close, real spiritual renewal will spread across our state and, instead of being a point of darkness, Alabama will become the light to the nation and the world that it was meant to be.
"In name of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen"
I'd dare say most of those in attendance at the Bag Rally are Republican persuasion.
ReplyDeleteThough curiously, I'd dare say there's probably not even one of 'em that have read the report about Alabama's upsidedown tax structure that taxes the well-to-do less than the poor.
Why, they've probably not even heard about it, the author or organization which received the report.
They probably know even less about the author.
I'm referring, of course, to none other than Susan Pace Hamill, whom is also a graduate of Beeson Divinity School.
With such titles of her papers reading as "An Evaluation of Federal Tax Policy Based on Judeo-Christian Ethics," "A Moral Perspective on 'Big Business' Fair Share of America's Tax Burden," and "The Vast Injustice Perpetuated by State and Local Tax Policy" and published in Hofstra Law Review, Virginia Tax Review and others, how could those Baggers be so ignorant?
I'll bet (if Governor Riley won't have me arrested, gangland style and prosecuted) that Susan Pace Hamill wasn't there!
This excerpt from her paper entitled "Seek Justice" - which I believe was delivered in 2002 - sums up rather succinctly the whole stinkin' matter.
"Why do tax laws potentially raise moral issues of justice under the Old and New Testaments? All communities must raise a pool of revenue for the common good. All of us want to feed from the common trough benefit from good roads, police and fire protection, good schools, but none of us want to contribute our share of the revenues to provide these benefits. This attitude stems from basic human greed, which we all have to some degree due to the effects of the Fall as revealed in the third chapter of Genesis. Because none of us would pay our fair share of tax voluntarily the arm of the law must compel taxes and impose penalties for failure to pay. Due to the involuntary nature of taxation justice in that area is a very important measurement of a community’s moral well being.
"In Alabama our tax laws do not even come close to meeting the standards of justice the teachings of Jesus demand. Oppressive state and local taxes extract a greater proportional burden from the poorest Alabamians than from those of us with a greater ability to pay. Inadequate tax revenues leave our public schools and other community infrastructures in such poor shape our most vulnerable citizens have no minimum chance to escape poverty and improve their lives. And there are too many examples of wasteful misuse of the inadequate funds we have. We are responsible for this injustice because our government is a product of our participation or lack there of. How our government treats “the least of these” reflects who we really are.
"Alabama stands at a crossroads - a real fork in the road. We can go one of two ways.
"If we continue to turn away from God, if we fail to “seek justice”, if we fail to wake up out of our apathy, the enormous gap between who we say we are and who we really are will continue to grow. And greed and fear will eventually condemn our entire community.
"However if we turn towards God and “seek justice” that gap will close, real spiritual renewal will spread across our state and, instead of being a point of darkness, Alabama will become the light to the nation and the world that it was meant to be.
"In name of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen"