The Fairness Question (I-1098)

Fairness is an opinion frequently disguised with numbers and charts. It is also the most convenient excuse to justify whatever action. I have learned never to enter an argument on whether something is fair or not. No one wins on those debates.

Case in point: taxes. Washington state is considering to tax the very rich. On the surface, the argument seems very straight-forward.

Bill Gates Sr.
Middle-class families pay more than 11 percent of their income in state and local taxes, and poor families pay 17 percent. Meanwhile the state’s wealthiest residents — like us — pay just 2.6 percent of their income in state and local taxes. That disparity is clearly unfair.

In other words, relative to the income, poor people pay more taxes than rich. That is clearly not fair. The image of few fat rich enslaving the mass populous poor comes to mind. Clearly something must be done to right this wrong.

Wait. Relative to the income, the poor also pay more for foods, transportation, housing, health care, energy, child care, or education. This is simple math: the rich has more and, therefore, everything is relatively less for them. This is the very nature of being rich or poor.

At the heart of fairness is the concept of equality, or sameness. Since individuals are fundamentally unique, there can never be absolute equality for everyone. Fairness, therefore, lays its foundation on two elements: freedom of choice and the transparency of the rules.

The US is a mobile society. Google told me that Alaska has no income or sales taxes. Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no sales taxes. Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming has no income taxes. As long as people have this information and the means to transport themselves, they will end up in the state with acceptable taxation system.

Washington may need the income taxes for its revenue problem. Just say so. Fairness has nothing to do with it.

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