William Petty Quotes
Let the Tax be never so great, if it be apoportionable unto all, then no man suffers the loss of any Riches by it.
His principle was that if all men shared in paying taxes, no one would have to pay so much as to be impoverished. However, the tradition was to exempt so many citizens and classes of citizens that the burden fell heavily on the remainder. Today, in America, no one is exempted, but there are deductions and tax credits given so that some escape much taxation, the poor pay few taxes, and the burden still falls on some—today, the middle class.
William Petty, 1623-1687, English Economist & Demographer, A Treatise of Taxes & Contributions, 1662
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Comment made in the Congressional Congress debates in 1787. This precedes individual taxation. In the debate, Wilson felt state taxation “should accord with the number of freemen” as “it is strange that annexing the name of ‘State’ to ten thousand men, should give them an equal right with forty thousand.”
Describing the concept of an income tax:
Giovanni de Medici
This became known as the Buffet Principle—that the very rich should not pay a lower tax rate than the workers who make far less money than they do. President Barack Obama used this principle by name in calling for the 2011 Jobs Act which would eliminate some of the loopholes and exemptions by which the rich could avoid some or much or their tax obligation.
As a result of years of lobbying many vested interests were getting tax exemptions for their activities. Some of the richest corporations and people paid little or no taxes. This was like the old European monarchies where the dukes and nobles got tax exemptions from the king and the middle class and poor people paid a much larger percentage of their income and wealth than did the nobility. Fairness in taxation is very difficult in practice. See {633629}
whether or not to buy luxuries This quotation and {639885} together illustrate why it is so difficult to classify historical politicians in the left-right categories of a future time. Here Gogel seems a strong liberal arguing for progressive taxation and luxury taxes, and tax relief for the poop, while in {639885} he sounds like a 21st century extreme conservative.
Sir William Petty FRS was an English economist, physician, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers. He also remained a significant figure under King Charles II and King James II, as did many others who had served Cromwell.
