Let's Really Talk About Taxes

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from OnTheCommons.org:



Let's Really Talk About Taxes
Tax reform is the way to stop economic losses for the bottom 90 percent

By Kim Klein


Recently, I participated in a workshop on Active Listening. This is a way of listening that actually involves LISTENING instead of just waiting for your turn to talk.

One person talks for 3 minutes and the other person asks open ended, non-leading questions and repeats back what she or he has heard. The topic we used to practice our listening skills was taxes. Questions included, “When do you feel good about the taxes you pay and when have you felt something was a waste of tax dollars?” or “What was your first experience of taxes?” or “If you could wave your magic wand, how would you fix our tax structure?” These kinds of large questions led to very rich conversations. The people in the workshop were generally in agreement about the need for a progressive tax structure, getting the 1% and corporations to pay their share. Most of us even vote to tax ourselves more to have recycling, public swimming pools, parks and good schools, but we had some areas of disagreement. Dog parks—should they be public? Performing arts—should everyone be able to see the symphony for free at least a few times a year? If everything is to be paid for by taxes, what is the role of individual initiative?

We had to end the workshop, but I felt we could have gone on for hours. Many people said afterwards, “I didn’t even know I thought all these things” and one person said, “I haven’t thought this much since college.”

This gave me an idea: April 17 is TAX DAY. Maybe TAX DAY should be a holiday in which people are encouraged to discuss the common good, just as MEMORIAL DAY is a day to remember those who have died in wars, and the Fourth of July allows us to reflect on how proud (or not) we are of the United States. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.onthecommons.org/lets-really-talk-about-taxes