Uncle Sam Steals Our Money – And Our Time

Uncle Sam and his state and local government cohorts steal 41.3 percent of your life, energy and family time annually – and they couldn’t care less.

The money you earn is representative of your time on earth. It’s good to work, and the Bible is clear that we should give to Caesar (government) that which belongs to Caesar, but when Caesar takes more than is necessary because he doesn’t manage our money well, that’s a problem.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the average American life-span is 78.8 years. Additionally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as reported by Terrence Jeffrey of CNS news last week, from 2013 to 2016, “Americans on average spent more on taxes in 2016 than they did on food and clothing combined.”

Let’s put this into perspective. If government continues to tax us at the current rates, we’d spend nearly 32 years of our lives working for the government before we can invest in our own household essentials, such as food, clothing, a roof over our heads and electricity. There’s something morally wrong about that! When you consider that our national debt has climbed to over $20 trillion and how irresponsible politicians have been handling our tax money, it’s hard to imagine why any taxpayer would believe that Uncle Sam’s ability to tax should be arbitrary and limitless.

I’m a big fan of financial expert, radio host and author of “Financial Peace University” and “The Total Money Makeover” Dave Ramsey. He hates debt like God and our grandparents do, but why he hates debt is part of the recipe for his success. Debt prohibits us from enjoying our money and being generous the way God intended, and often forces career-aged adults to take jobs they hate or that don’t fit their natural bents. There’s nothing wrong with that short-term. However, if we’re miserable going to work every day because debt has ruined our ability to take chances, on a micro level you could imagine how that would disincentivize worker production and creativity.

Dealing with government over-taxation is no different. Why would anyone be encouraged to work more, build more or create more if he or she knows some government bureaucrat gets to reap nearly half of his or her rewards and redistribute it to people who haven’t taken the same initiative or risk as the taxpayer? Your time isn’t political. It’s valuable.

Ironically, whenever government cuts taxes, we see an increase in government revenue because fewer people and business owners hoard their money. They spend more. We’re seeing that in the first six months of the Trump administration. We haven’t had any major tax legislation signed yet, but what we do have is a pro-capitalism, pro-business cheerleader in the White House, and that’s restored confidence in our consumer and investing markets.

Every additional dollar you must pay to government represents more time away from your family and friends. Do you know of any politician that’s worth 40 percent of your life before you get to enjoy it? I don’t!

We all share common interest and an expectation that the federal government has an obligation to promote the “general welfare.” That term is not exclusive to the rich or poor. It doesn’t mean distributing food stamps, despite what Democrats tell you. We all want protection from enemies, foreign and domestic, roads, infrastructure and programs that protect and promote the common good for everyone.

With more money in your own pocket you become more independent from government and more likely to examine the God-given talents you can use to create an income. God has given all of us life. We’re on borrowed time. He expects a return on his investment. How about we allow Him to guide us on how to spend our time rather than Uncle Sam?

Originally published at WND.com

Photo credit: 401(K) 2012 (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved

Carl Jackson is a radio talk show host – his web site is www.carljacksonshow.com. Media wishing to interview Carl Jackson, please contact media@wnd.com.

The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.