Follow the Money Trail

Too often, we rely on the government to help protect us and the government responds in the only way they know how: more regulation, more oversight, more taxes. The biggest piece of regulation since the depression is currently under review by the United States Supreme Court: Obama-care. With the superficial intent of supplying "affordable" healthcare to some 40 million under-insured Americans, Obama-care is nothing but a carefully crafted law designed to ensure the insurance companies have a steady supply of customers they can make money from. What ever your views or beliefs on this legislation, it is surely an extension of government into our lives and one that will cost us money in the long run.

More detrimental than money, it also raises the question what else the government can compel us to do. "If the government can do this, what else can it do?" Supreme Court Justice Scalia asked, suggesting Congress might require Americans to buy broccoli or automobiles. It is a dangerous slope we are on with government mandates: taken individually, a chain link is not dangerous; but when taken together as a whole chain, we are each shackled by a government that is increasingly out of touch with the average American's daily life.

This debate has led me to examine a few other regulations that we take as everyday life. Why is car insurance mandated? Why are seat belts mandated? Why do major corporations like General Electric pay almost nothing in corporate taxes? Why is abortion continually challenged by religious fundamentalists? Why is gay marriage illegal? It comes down to money.

Car insurance is required because the insurance lobby paid a bunch of politicians (I mean, conrtibuted campaign donations) to make a law so the insurance companies can make more money. As a side effect, regular people are now financially protected when someone does something stupid with their vehicle.

Seat belts are a by-product of the mandated car insurance. If you get into an accident while not wearing your seat belt, the car insurance company is not obligated to pay your medical bills regardless of who is at fault. Again, it comes down to money. Not only does the insurance company get a free pass, but now the state/local government can fine you for not wearing one.

Major corporations have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the last 50 years to ensure the corporate tax loop holes get larger and larger. In 1945, corporate taxes were roughly equal to personal income taxes raising $16 billion and $18 billion, respectively. Today, the difference is tremendous. Personal income taxes in 2011 totaled $1.1 trillion, while corporate taxes brought in $181 billion -- a difference of sixfold. As a percentage of all federal taxes, corporate taxes fell from more than 30% in the 1950s to 6.6% in 2009. In this case, politicians received money for re-election to continue their life long political career and the corporations were given loop holes to hide income in.

Gay marriage and abortions are kind of tricky. It's hard to find the money trail, but it is there. For a moment, let's disregard all organized, fundamental religious beliefs. Really, you have to. According to all organized religion, all other organized religions are wrong and are going to hell, so there you go.

In my opinion, gay marriage is illegal because of tax breaks. When you file jointly, you have a possibility of claiming thousands of dollars in exemptions or deductions. When you file as single, those deductions are not available to you. If suddenly there existed the possibility that every adult aged 18 and older could suddenly claim the married exemptions, the government would lose hundreds of millions of dollars.

Abortion is an even more hidden money trail. For the most part, it does not even make money for the government; but for the religious institutions. If religion (and the government) can find something that galvanizes large sections of the population, that is where the money comes in. Religious associations battle against civil liberty and feminist organizations via advertising campaigns and sit/walk/chant-ins to garner more support for their side. All these things cost money. Never mind the left leaning donations: most of these civil rights oriented people will do things on principle. The right leaning religious institutions see things like gay marriage and abortion as a way to increase donations and manpower. On a side note, I've always been curious why organized religion opposed both gay marriage and abortion. What group of people better to never have an abortion?

The next time you are fined for speeding, jay walking or not purchasing mandatory health care, remember, it's not about you or public safety: it's about the money.