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Should voting be limited to Americans who pay Income tax

Should voting be limited to Americans who pay Income tax

  • Total voters
    54
SouthernDemocrat said:
The 15th Amendment states the following:

"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

The 26th Amendment states the following:

"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age."

From the language of both of those amendments its plainly construed that voting is a fundamental right of citizenship.
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No.

You've pointed out that race and color aren't preconditions to preclude voting.

You've point out that anyone past the age of 18 can't be denied their vote on the basis of their age.

Taken together, THOSE AMENDMENTS DO NOT SAY THAT A 19 YEAR OLD BLACK CRACK WHORE THAT DOESN'T PAY TAXES CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO VOTE.

Work on your logic skills. They're lacking.
 
bilbus said:
there is no right to vote.

The Constitution says nothing about voting being a right. It says you can not deny voting because of race or gender.

Unproductive citizens are only going to vote for someone who will give them free stuff.
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The Constitution does not grant rights, nor does it list the whole of our rights. Government derives its power from the governed, so long as citizens are of the governed they should be allowed to vote. Otherwise, I say only people with a PhD in science, engineering, or math should be allowed to vote. No sense in letting retards set rules and policy when they can't understand the full ramifications for them doing so.
 
bilbus said:
Currently 40% of Americans pay no income tax, should these financial failures be permited to influence the country?

Also should people on government assistence be permited to vote?

I understand the "right" to vote can not be removed ... but what if?
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More like WTF? So I guess clergy, retirees, college students, civic volunteers, etc shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't living your particular dream? That's just stupid.
 
bilbus said:
Currently 40% of Americans pay no income tax, should these financial failures be permited to influence the country?

Also should people on government assistence be permited to vote?

I understand the "right" to vote can not be removed ... but what if?
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People who are not net tax payers and who can not review information and candidates objectively and rationally should not be able to vote.

The majority of people don't know a damn thing about justice or what the government was created for in the first place.

Ikari said:
The Constitution does not grant rights, nor does it list the whole of our rights. Government derives its power from the governed, so long as citizens are of the governed they should be allowed to vote. Otherwise, I say only people with a PhD in science, engineering, or math should be allowed to vote. No sense in letting retards set rules and policy when they can't understand the full ramifications for them doing so.
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Ikari for President! :2razz:
 
jallman said:
More like WTF? So I guess clergy, retirees, college students, civic volunteers, etc shouldn't be allowed to vote because they aren't living your particular dream? That's just stupid.
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Clergy pay income taxes, if they're honest enough to report their income.

Retirees that have income above and beyond the Socialist Securty payouts and are taxed on it shouldn't be denied the vote, unless they're diagnosed with Alzheimers or some other mentally debilitating illness like registering as a Democrat.

Civic volunteers that don't pay income taxes shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Sounds fair to me.
 
Yes, of course.
That way only the shrinking middle class and some rich will be able to vote and there will be few votes to count..
The "neo-cons" run out of digits quickly.
Also, the tax cheats can be unearthed.
 
Scarecrow Akhbar said:
Clergy pay income taxes, if they're honest enough to report their income.

Retirees that have income above and beyond the Socialist Securty payouts and are taxed on it shouldn't be denied the vote, unless they're diagnosed with Alzheimers or some other mentally debilitating illness like registering as a Democrat.

Civic volunteers that don't pay income taxes shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Sounds fair to me.
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I'm glad our Constitution doesn't agree.

And not all clergy pay income taxes.
 
jallman said:
I'm glad our Constitution doesn't agree.

And not all clergy pay income taxes.
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Everyone that takes a salary over a certain amount (depending on deductions) pays some income tax. Even when I was a college student making around $4k a year, I paid federal income tax.
 
Tucker Case said:
WTF? I made more per year playing poker in college! :2razz:

P.S. I'm not saying anything about paying income tax on it, either.
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$4k a year on the books homie. You know how I roll
 
RightinNYC said:
Everyone that takes a salary over a certain amount (depending on deductions) pays some income tax. Even when I was a college student making around $4k a year, I paid federal income tax.
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There are clergy that make nothing. They serve the Church and do not have a salary at all.

Several monastic orders come to mind immediately.
 
We tried making the voting age 21 and it did not work. It was not fair to the people who were being drafted in a war they had no say in. Hence the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. Should a draft be limited to people who pay income tax?

As far as limiting voting to income taxpayers, what about all the other issues that effect everyone? For example, what about war? That issue affects every citizen, wether they are an income taxpayer or not, they should be allowed to voice their opinion on it by way of voting.

Also, what about all the other taxes? Income tax is not the only one. There is sales tax, production tax, import tax, capital gains tax, estate tax, death tax, etc. Everyone in this country pays tax one way or another so we all have a right to vote in order to voice our ideas on those taxes.
 
If people have a vote they are less inclined to violently overthrow the government out of helplessness.
 
Alex said:
We tried making the voting age 21 and it did not work. It was not fair to the people who were being drafted in a war they had no say in. Hence the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. Should a draft be limited to people who pay income tax?

As far as limiting voting to income taxpayers, what about all the other issues that effect everyone? For example, what about war? That issue affects every citizen, wether they are an income taxpayer or not, they should be allowed to voice their opinion on it by way of voting.

Also, what about all the other taxes? Income tax is not the only one. There is sales tax, production tax, import tax, capital gains tax, estate tax, death tax, etc. Everyone in this country pays tax one way or another so we all have a right to vote in order to voice our ideas on those taxes.
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Exactly. I know I would be willing to take up arms to stop those who do not pay taxes from becoming an unrepresented herd of cattle for those who decided to limit the voice of others based on some specific criteria that they fit into knowing others do not. That's not an America I am willing to tolerate.
 
jallman said:
Exactly. I know I would be willing to take up arms to stop those who do not pay taxes from becoming an unrepresented herd of cattle for those who decided to limit the voice of others based on some specific criteria that they fit into knowing others do not. That's not an America I am willing to tolerate.
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:applaud:applaud:applaud
 
jallman said:
Exactly. I know I would be willing to take up arms to stop those who do not pay taxes from becoming an unrepresented herd of cattle for those who decided to limit the voice of others based on some specific criteria that they fit into knowing others do not. That's not an America I am willing to tolerate.
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Well until you said this, I was going to say lets compromise and have their votes count as 2/3rds. But you make a compelling case. :2razz:
 
bilbus said:
Currently 40% of Americans pay no income tax, should these financial failures be permited to influence the country?
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Uhh why do you equate "financial failure" with not paying income tax? Maybe some people don't CARE about earning $600K per year. Are you trying the Gordon Gekko persona just to troll?

And of course they should be allowed to vote. Americans who don't pay taxes are affected by many government policies.
 
bilbus said:
Currently 40% of Americans pay no income tax, should these financial failures be permited to influence the country?

Also should people on government assistence be permited to vote?

I understand the "right" to vote can not be removed ... but what if?
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Where do you get the 40% figure from?

Republicans constantly make the argument that the people in the top income brackets shouldn't pay more than everyone else. They say that a progressive tax system is socialism. Of course they ignore (no matter how many times it's explained to them) that bob billionaire couldn't make one dime from his business without use of the public commons. Ralph roadbuilder busted his ass to put in the road that led up to Bobs business so that Bob could get his trucks out and make his billions. So, since Bob got rich by using the commons, shouldn't Bob feel compelled to pay a larger percentage of the maintenance of the commons? He should but he generally doesn't so the government makes him.
 
I have strong confidence in today's generation of high school and college students. Their reasoning capacities are as good as those of any previous generation. If they graduate with a sufficient degree of historical knowledge and understanding of economics (not ideological variants), they will make decisions that are no less sound than those of any preceding generation.
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I disagree. I know too many high school and college students. The majority of them are vapid and self-centered, but this is simply a microcosm of a larger societal malady; it's not really their fault. I blame the generation that raised them, or failed to raise them.

We are a nation consumed by escapism and materialism; obsessed with pain-avoidance and self-gratification. The ideas of liberty and self-sacrifice are either forgotten or misunderstood, replaced by safety and entitlement. If the current trend in America continues we will either fall into chaos or tyranny.
 
Ethereal said:
I disagree. I know too many high school and college students. The majority of them are vapid and self-centered, but this is simply a microcosm of a larger societal malady; it's not really their fault. I blame the generation that raised them, or failed to raise them.

We are a nation consumed by escapism and materialism; obsessed with pain-avoidance and self-gratification. The ideas of liberty and self-sacrifice are either forgotten or misunderstood, replaced by safety and entitlement. If the current trend in America continues we will either fall into chaos or tyranny.
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Being 19, I hate associating with most individuals my age. They fit your description flawlessly. Therefore, most of my close friends are in the mid-to-late twenties. Then again, I have chosen to surround myself with like-minded people.
 
jallman said:
Exactly. I know I would be willing to take up arms to stop those who do not pay taxes from becoming an unrepresented herd of cattle for those who decided to limit the voice of others based on some specific criteria that they fit into knowing others do not. That's not an America I am willing to tolerate.
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The herd of cattle has continuously voted themselves largess from the treasury.

Why doesn't anyone take up arms against them.

Ethereal said:
I disagree. I know too many high school and college students. The majority of them are vapid and self-centered, but this is simply a microcosm of a larger societal malady; it's not really their fault. I blame the generation that raised them, or failed to raise them.

We are a nation consumed by escapism and materialism; obsessed with pain-avoidance and self-gratification. The ideas of liberty and self-sacrifice are either forgotten or misunderstood, replaced by safety and entitlement. If the current trend in America continues we will either fall into chaos or tyranny.
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I second that.

This is the face of the new generation. Its worse than baby boomers.
 
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