eBay The Vote

Internet Voting writes "Voters in Argentina's upcoming presidential election have found an interesting solution to their political apathy: eBay. 'New and unused' votes are being posted from $0.30 to $95. Electoral authorities say they're powerless to stop it. 'Argentine electoral authorities say they can do little to stop the practice because it falls into a legal vacuum. One of the voters, Martin Minue, a doctor from the northern province of Rioja, told a newspaper it was his way to protest against useless politicians. Mr Minue, 33, told the Clarin paper he felt powerless to change the country's situation. The doctor, who works in the city of Chilecito, posted his vote on an auction website with a price tag of 20 pesos (US$6).'"

Comments

Re:This is HIGHLY illegal in the US

[KingSkippus]

Well, I gotta say, I liked getting some of MY money back. And I don't think a surplus is a good thing, it means they have too much of the citizen's money. If they have too much, they will find a way to spend it. I don't like the huge debt they have us in now, no...but, if they will bring the war down to a close, and cut some stupid spending (how about stopping a lot of the payments we make to other countries?), I think we'll start to recover financially. I'm still paying about 33% of my income....and that is ENOUGH!! The govt needs to learn to live within its means. Heck, I wish they go to a FairTax type thing...simpler to understand, and would keep a lot of tax dodges by large corps and cash under the table stuff from being lost as tax funds that happen so readily today.

Great, one of those. Man, I could spend an hour going off on you, but I'll just try to stick to the high points.

First of all, it's not YOUR money. Why? Because the US government, in its (lack of) infinite wisdom, has been spending far more than you've been paying it on your behalf. And I hate to burst your bubble, but that's the agreement that you sign onto by having income in this country. As a result, you have a massive debt that's getting bigger and bigger every day, and yet here you are, complaining that you want to pay less and less back.

Second of all, when you have such a massive debt, having a budget surplus is a good thing; it's what allows you to pay that debt off. If you have a credit card with a huge balance, don't you think that it's a good thing if you have a little left over each month to pay towards the balance? According to your logic, the answer is no, you should at most break even each month.

Third of all, if you're paying 33% of your income, then you must be extremely wealthy and extremely stupid. The marginal rate of 33% only applies if you make over $97,925 a year. If your total income tax is 33%, do you have any clue what that makes your income? $694,850. And the kicker? That's before any deductions are taken into account. I'm having a hard time believing that you actually make $694,850. If you do, more power to you, but I don't have any sympathy for your righteous indignation.

Fourth of all, your Fair Tax comment deserves its own full comment, but let's take at least a few pot shots at it:

• The Fair Tax fanatics continually lie about the rate they want to charge. It's not the 23% they keep trying to push off to stupid people. Read something by someone who's not trying to relentlessly push it on us.
• If the Fair Tax passes, there will be no tax deductions. Have kids? Too damn bad. Wave bye-bye to the mortgage interest deduction. No more retirement savings advantages.
• It totally neglects people's current after-tax investments. All that Roth IRA money people have invested? They'll be paying tax on it twice—income tax when they earned it, and again when they purchase stuff.
• Ooh, they'll be able to get rid of the IRS right? Who do you think is going to be collecting the Fair Tax and enforcing its collection? Santa Claus?
• Speaking of collection, it turns millions of people into tax collectors. Keep in mind that the Fair Tax applies to services, too. Does your son mow lawns in the summer? He has to collect Fair Tax. Does your daughter baby-sit the neighbor's baby? She has to collect the Fair Tax. If they don't and the new Santa Claus government entity that collects Fair Tax finds out, they'll be punished for tax evasion.
• There is no provision for paying different taxes on different things. Right now, if you buy a $200,000 house for example, you don't pay that much in sales tax. Under the Fair Tax, you'll be stuck with an extra $46,000. If I'm not mistaken (I'd have to go look it up again), I think that loans are subject to the Fair Tax also as a service, which means that you'll be paying another