Ethnic Diversity of Tax Dollars…The American Taxpayer is the Beast of Burden

By Elaine Willman, MPA

We have a general understanding that federal tax dollars collected are to fund the annual administrative and operational activities of our federal government. This is a responsibility all taxpayers assume.  Our roads, schools, law enforcement, health and education services would not occur without this federal tax system.

We also have somehow accepted the hyphenation of Americans’ status. We’re White Americans, Black Americans, Native Americans, etc.  Consequently, our tax obligations have been hyphenated too.

Somewhere along the way, like mold slowly sneaking up in house basements and along walls, taxpayers are funding, specific hyphenated Americans based on ethnicity alone.  For over 150 years taxpayers fund all the annual basic needs and services of 573 Indian tribes, to the tune of trillions over these years.  That’s trillions unavailable to meet all of America’s needs, even though enrolled Native Americans are full citizens like the rest of us and represent less than 1% of the country’s population.

Apparently funding one ethnicity for yesterdays “sins” is not enough. Now members of Congress are chanting and panting for slavery “reparations,” for additional sins of yesterday. This would shift even more trillions of tax dollars away from the needs of all living Americans who had nothing to do with either slavery or old federal Indian policy decisions, and it doesn’t stop there.

Members of Congress and folks seeking elected office in this country think it’s a swell idea to fund all the basic needs of illegal aliens if they find their way across the border.  It’s the “humanitarian” thing to do.  When do we look at the humanitarian abuse of the American taxpayer?  Ever?  Never?

What do these additional tax burdens have in common? They are specific to one ethnicity: either Native American, Black Americans or (illegal) Hispanic Americans. Apparently, American taxpayers are not even secondary in this conversation. Actual taxpayers have a diminishing voice in Congress these days but stand first in line to pick up the check for those entitled, “owed” or in need of “humanitarian” mercy. No mercy for the taxpayer; these debts are in addition to the general funding of our federal government obligations. Funding Indian policy (forced reparations in perpetuity), proposed slavery reparations and proposed illegal alien basic needs shifts all these multi-trillions away from fixing potholes, adding police officers, better schools, teacher salaries or even (God forbid!) reducing our national debt. And all this is not counting the federal tax dollars funding the needs of other countries around the world.

So, in my view, this is a growing burden upon John and Jane Q. Taxpayer in the United States.  We are the Beasts of Burden who somehow continuously acquiesce and comply with higher and higher taxes, and fewer and fewer dollars available for resources for communities across our country. We are clearly indentured servants to a tax system that prioritizes non-taxpayers over taxpayers.

Perhaps this dilemma is worth a conversation with current elected officials at every level of our government, or with those candidates funded by special interests who would further burden taxpayers/voters. We’ are one country, one American people, and our taxes should support all citizens regardless of ethnicity, perceived historic wrongs, or those fellow Americans convinced of their personal entitlement.

Contact:  toppin@aol.ccom

Phone: 509-949-8055