The Extra Child Tax
I'm going to start by saying I know how this will be viewed. Fascism!
Currently, our government actually gives families a tax credit for each child they have. I believe that not only should people not recieve money for increasing our massive population further, they should actually be taxed for every child beyond the first two.
The rationale for this is that those who put a larger strain on the social service net (schools, health clinics, and other government-funded child services) should naturally have to pay more. For instance, let us consider you and your neighbor both earn $50000 a year. You have two children you send to public school, he has ten. Currently, even though your neighbor puts five times the strain on the school system, he actually pays less than you pay to support it.
The plan would be a progressively increasing tax based on percent of total taxes paid (not total taxable income). The third child will cost 1% a year until he is 18, the fourth 2%, and the fifth and everyone thereafter 4% (these numbers are just for explanation; they aren't fixed in stone. Besides, this'll never get passed anyway). These are not crippling costs, but enough to give pause to anyone wanting more children.
While the plan may seem very authoritarian, it must be released that this is not a mandatory ban, a là China. It is not even intended as a penalty. People are free to have as many children as they wish; they must merely pay their fair share of costs. Just as those who consume more (sales tax), drive more (gasoline tax, road tolls), and fly more (airport tax) pay more, so should those who consume social services.
Of course, this is not a blanket law. It would not be retroactive - children born before implementation of hte law would not be affected. Multiple births that bring the total over the limit of two (twins making three total, triplets and up for first child) would be exempted. If parents want more than two children, they would be strongly encouraged to adopt, which of course carries no extra fee, and would be great for everyone involved, especially the child.
This is not fascism; This is equality.
Currently, our government actually gives families a tax credit for each child they have. I believe that not only should people not recieve money for increasing our massive population further, they should actually be taxed for every child beyond the first two.
The rationale for this is that those who put a larger strain on the social service net (schools, health clinics, and other government-funded child services) should naturally have to pay more. For instance, let us consider you and your neighbor both earn $50000 a year. You have two children you send to public school, he has ten. Currently, even though your neighbor puts five times the strain on the school system, he actually pays less than you pay to support it.
The plan would be a progressively increasing tax based on percent of total taxes paid (not total taxable income). The third child will cost 1% a year until he is 18, the fourth 2%, and the fifth and everyone thereafter 4% (these numbers are just for explanation; they aren't fixed in stone. Besides, this'll never get passed anyway). These are not crippling costs, but enough to give pause to anyone wanting more children.
While the plan may seem very authoritarian, it must be released that this is not a mandatory ban, a là China. It is not even intended as a penalty. People are free to have as many children as they wish; they must merely pay their fair share of costs. Just as those who consume more (sales tax), drive more (gasoline tax, road tolls), and fly more (airport tax) pay more, so should those who consume social services.
Of course, this is not a blanket law. It would not be retroactive - children born before implementation of hte law would not be affected. Multiple births that bring the total over the limit of two (twins making three total, triplets and up for first child) would be exempted. If parents want more than two children, they would be strongly encouraged to adopt, which of course carries no extra fee, and would be great for everyone involved, especially the child.
This is not fascism; This is equality.
posted by Jimmy at 7:31 PM
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