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Taxation and Direct Democracy
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Parties during election campaigns
and Governments regularly use misleading and false tax and spending estimates to
frighten the electorate.
The only way to bring abusive election propaganda to a halt and reign
in uncontrolled public spending is to give the voters final say over all tax and
spending measures.
Voters should have the right to accept or reject each new tax or change in
the level of tax that is imposed. All the proceeds of the tax should be
earmarked - as much as possible - for spending on particular purposes.
For good
reason the American
revolution was sparked off by the effort of the English government to impose new
taxes on the colonies in the New World.
Taxes are in the centre of the political process - political parties and lobbies
fight for the right to claim their share of the money raised by taxes and
everyone tries to get a larger share than they have
contributed themselves.
If the citizens have the ultimate say about how taxes are raised, and at what
level, the constant fight over the distribution of tax and spending proposals would be reduced
and a more rational and objective way to reach spending decisions would be
possible.
Even on routine tax laws and spending decisions that were necessary for the
running of government functions on a daily basis and unlikely to be
controversial politicians would be more careful as there would always be the
danger that the citizens would initiate a referendum if the interests of
important segments of society are neglected.
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