Organized Crime and Harry Reid

Organized Crime and Harry Reid

Yesterday (24 July), Harry Reid said “I am here to tell you that polygamist communities in the United States are a form of organized crime”.  He then gives a list of reasons on why polygamist communities are a form of organized crime:

  • Bigamy
  • child abuse *teen and pre-teen girls are forced to marry older men and bear their children)
  • Welfare fraud
  • Tax evasion
  • Massive corruption
  • Strong-arm tactics

While I agree that polygamist groups have their problems, I believe that there is a much larger problem with Organized Crime in our country, and its not coming from the polygamists.  It’s coming from the Democratic and Republican parties.

 To use Senator Reid’s list, think of any recent examples of these crimes:

  • Bigamy.  (Okay, there hasn’t been a case of bigamy in Congress in a long time that I’m aware of.  However, ignore the part of getting married.  How many politicians have affairs?  Maybe an easier question is how many politicians haven’t had affairs?)
  • child abuse.  (Mark Foley anyone?)
  • Welfare fraud (does encouraging welfare fraud count?)
  • Tax evasion (William Jefferson anyone?)
  • Massive corruption (if these two words don’t describe the two major parties, I don’t know what would.  Even Harry is involved). 
  • Strong-arm tactics (pay your taxes, follow our laws, etc, or you will go to prison.  Sounds like “strong-arm tactics to me.)
  • How about extortion?  Senator Reid didn’t talk about that, but the Democratic and Republican Parties have created:

    • Federal Income tax: Currently between 10% – 35%, depending on income
    • Social Security tax: 6.2%  from the employee and 6.2% from the employer.  (self-employed people like me, pay the entire 12.4%) on the first (as of 2008) $102,000.00 of income earned)
    • Medicare tax: 1.45% from the employee and 1.45% from the employer.  (self-employed people, like me, pay the entire 2.9%)
    • Sales tax: Clark County, Nevada, sales tax rate is (as of 2008)  7.75%
    • Federal Gasoline Tax (currently 18.4 cents a gallon)
    • State Gasoline Tax (Nevada is currently 50.9 cents a gallon)
    • Federal diesel fuel tax (currently 24.4 cents a gallon)
    • State diesel fuel tax (Nevada is currently 53 cents a gallon)
    • Corporate income tax
    • Estate (death) tax
    • Gift tax
    • Telephone Federal Excise Tax
    • Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
    • Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
    • Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
    • Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
    • Telephone State and Local Tax
    • Telephone Usage Charge Tax
    • Accounts Receivable Tax
    • Building Permit Tax
    • Commercial Drivers License Tax
    • Cigarette Tax
    • Dog License Tax
    • Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
    • Fishing License Tax
    • Food License Tax
    • Fuel Permit Tax
    • Hunting License Tax
    • Inventory Tax
    • IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
    • IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
    • Liquor Tax
    • Luxury Tax
    • Marriage License Tax
    • Medicare Tax
    • Property Tax
    • Real Estate Tax
    • Service charge taxes
    • Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
    • Recreational Vehicle Tax
    • School Tax
    • State Income Tax (at least Nevada doesn’t have one of these, yet)
    • State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
    • Utility Tax
    • Vehicle License Registration Tax
    • Vehicle Sales Tax
    • Watercraft Registration Tax
    • Well Permit Tax
    • Workers Compensation Tax
    • Motor vehicle fees

    (and yes, before someone says it, I understand that some of these are “fees” and not “taxes”.  Well, if the government collects them, I say its fair to call them taxes.  It’s my blog.  I can do that.)

    So, let’s take an average family.  Married, two kids.  They make $65,000.00 a year.  Off the top income tax is $16,250.00. Their half of social security: $4,030.00.  Their half of medicare: $942.50.  Their tax before any deductions would be $21,222.50!  If they are self-employed, add in there another $4,972.50.  This would be a combine federal tax of $26,195.00.  If they drive a car that gets 35 miles per gallon for 15,000 during the year, then, they’ve paid $78.86 in federal gas tax and $218.15 in Nevada gax tax.  This gives a tax bill of $26,492.01 (assuming this family is self-employed/independent contractor)!  Ignoring all the other taxes and government imposed fees that this family will have to pay, they are currently paying 40.76% of their income in taxes!  After we add in all these other taxes and government imposed fees, I’d be shocked if this tax bill wasn’t 50% or more.  Yet, in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ,a prophet of God writes about a point in the history of ancient America when some of the people where in bondage to their enemy.  We read that these people were required to pay  “even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of us”.  (Mosiah 7:22).  The next verse reads “And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn.” (Mosiah 7:23).

    Are not the taxes we have to pay, this extortion from the government, grievous to bear?

    Yet, Harry Reid is worried about the “Organized Crime” of polygamists!  Interesting priorities.

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