International Taxes?
March 6, 2006
April
15th is once again approaching and with it the necessity of filling out your tax
return. It is a good time to reflect on the taxes you do pay - and especially on
the taxes you may soon be forced to pay. Throughout the year you paid federal
taxes through withholding, including Social Security payroll taxes. You also
paid state income taxes, unless you’re fortunate enough to live in Texas or
another state without an income tax. You paid local property taxes. You paid
local sales taxes and numerous miscellaneous taxes on your vehicles and gasoline
and so many other things. Like most people, you probably feel taxed to death by
all these layers of taxes. Well, hold on to your wallets, because the United
Nations once again has launched a plan to impose a whole new level of global taxes
on us.
The
latest UN tax scheme was revealed at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland in January. At this conference of the world’s financial elite, the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) unveiled a UN plan to take seven
trillion dollars from developed nations for use by the UN to save the rest of
the world from all of its problems.
The
United Nations remains determined to rob from wealthy countries and, after
taking a big cut for itself, send what’s left to the poor countries. Of
course, most of this money will go to the very dictators whose reckless policies
have impoverished their citizens. According to the international bureaucrats of
the UN, wherever poverty exists in the rest of the world it is always our fault.
According to them, our prosperity comes not from hard work, legal protection of
property rights, and our capitalist system, but rather because we exploit the
poor of the third world. Somehow, it’s always our fault.
Where
will the seven trillion dollars to fund the latest UN scheme come from? Much of
it is to come from a UN-imposed fine on countries that in the UN’s judgment
are polluting too much. This attack on productivity will slow our economy and
lead to a loss of jobs in the United States. The UN global tax plan also
resurrects the long-held dream of the “Tobin Tax,” and doubles the targeted
income from such a tax to a whopping three trillion dollars.
The
"Tobin tax," named after the Yale professor who proposed it, would be
imposed on all worldwide currency transactions. Such a tax could prove quite
lucrative for the UN, given the vast amount of currency that trades hands at
certain times. It also might be a politically acceptable starting point, because
most average people do not engage in cross-border currency transactions. A
dangerous precedent would be set, however: the idea that the UN possesses
legitimate taxing authority to fund its operations.
Since
I was elected to Congress I have been fighting continuously against these UN
efforts to pick your pocket. In the 109th Congress I successfully
amended the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act of 2005 to prohibit any of the
funds in the Act from being used by the U.N. to develop or publicize any
proposal concerning taxation or fees on any United States person to raise
revenue for the U.N. or any of its specialized or affiliated agencies.
I
also introduced H. R. 1017 in the current Congress which would permanently
prohibit United States contributions to the United Nations if that organization
develops, implements, or publicizes any proposal to tax Americans.
Of course, my preference is that the United States end its participation in the corrupt UN entirely, and I introduce HR 1146 in every Congress to do just that. But until my colleagues are willing to take this important step, I will continue to offer measures like my amendment last year to help protect your hard-earned money from the greedy hands of the globalist United Nations.