LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik offers some typical commie bullshit as argument for the death tax.

Thanks to lobbyists and legislators looking out for the welfare of the richest Americans, the tax currently hits fewer than 3 of every 1,000 estates every year and bristles with exemptions and deferments for the rest. Its contribution to the federal treasury is about 1% of all revenue. (source: LA Times)

If your argument utilizes class warfare, then you are both 1) wrong, and 2) a moron. You’ve fallen in the trap perpetuated by both the left and the right.

True Americans look at government, its policies, and laws based on principles, not between the have’s and the have nots.

Arguments against the estate tax rank as the most special of special pleading, considering that more than 99.7% of all estates already are exempt.

This same argument can be made for countless subsets of people that benefit from government programs. I highly doubt that Michael would suggest that those are a waste of time.

What Michael wants to do is redistribute wealth.

What he cannot comprehend:

1. The top 1% of income earners pay roughly 40% of all federal income taxes. Why should they pay even a more disproportionate amount of money?
2. What business does the federal government have taking revenue from estates? Personal property is the reliable and gamed tax method for the states to take in funds. Nobody is stopping them from enacting their own death tax system (see #3 below). This should be a state matter, and competition among the states is a Good Thing. It keeps things from getting completely out of hand.
3. Many states have already enacted their own death taxes. Coupling this with probate costs and time requirements, many heirs are already overburdened. They may be forced to sell real estate because they simply cannot afford to pay the taxes. Now the property that they grew up in and the one their parents or whomever wanted them to live in is no longer in their family.
4. Punishing success is Not a Good Thing and is a very harmful movement. Regardless of the fact that someone is inheriting wealth, someone did earn it. No need to get all jealous and envious, Michael.

I don’t care how few people are affected. I can align with movements and changes to laws that don’t affect me based on principle. Releasing the federal government’s grasp is a Good Thing. Transferring power to the states is a Good Thing (even though most of them suck too). The people have more influence on their own states.

Michael - you can still make yourself feel better and agree with William H. Gates as if he is the end-all, be-all because his sperm produced the world’s richest man. The states can tax as they please.

The federal government has done nothing to show that they can be responsible with our own money. Whether it is a rich person’s or a poor person’s, it’s still the American Dollar. Get your head out of your ass.