A Closer Look: Billionaires shouldn’t get megaphones in our elections
It's been a while since we devoted a whole Closer Look to the issue of money in politics and the corresponding need for campaign finance reform. But given the tsunami of spending we’re witnessing these days in just the primary elections leading up to the November midterms, we think now is as good a time as ever.
A Closer Look: There is no such thing as a “self-made” millionaire
One of the most common critiques we receive when we tell people we want our taxes raised is: “Rich people worked hard for their wealth and deserve to keep it. Taxing them more would be akin to theft and disincentivize people from innovating and starting new businesses.” Our response? While rich people certainly deserve their wealth (to varying extents), no one is entirely “self-made” and therefore should not be allowed to skirt their civic duty to pay their fair share in taxes.
A Closer Look: Why we (still) won’t write voluntary checks to the IRS
Without doubt, one of the biggest, most common criticisms we encounter whenever we say we want our taxes raised is this: “If you want to pay more taxes, why don’t you just write a voluntary check to the IRS?” It’s a common response from our detractors on our social media posts. This is also a common question that members at our sister organizations in the United Kingdom and Canada encounter as well, albeit with their national equivalents to the IRS (HMRC and CRA, respectively).
A Closer Look: It’s workers over billionaires this May Day
If you haven’t checked your calendar today, it’s May 1st, more commonly known as May Day. You may be celebrating this day as a festival with ancient origins with rituals like flower wreaths, poles, and bonfires to mark the beginning of summer. Or, if you’re like us at Patriotic Millionaires, you’re celebrating International Workers’ Day.
