To the Gentleman who insists that the death tax doesn't put family farms out of business:
Thank you for taking the time to visit. I appreciate your views and respect your right to assert them. However, I try to be respectful and the tone of your comments was less than.... However, I absolutely feel the need to refute you on two issues and since this is my blog, I get to do that. Please remember that these are my opinions.
1. The Death Tax and the Family Farm. Just because there is no record that the Death Tax never put anybody out of business doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I know of several instances where family farms died with a generation simply because in order to pay the taxes, the next generation had to sell the farm. Does this mean they didn't want to farm? Hardly. It isn't just farms that this happens to, but by far, farmers and ranchers get hit the hardest. For example, my family owns a farm in Kansas. Most of the land was purchased long before I was born 30 years ago, and has only increased in value since then. Farm land is only profitable if you farm it. You only realize the increase in value if you sell it...therefore, all of that "gain" in value only becomes an issue if you want to sell or if someone dies and it has to be valued as a part of an estate to pay estate taxes. If you have to sell an asset to pay for owning it, methinks the tax is too high. I doubt you know any farmers, but if you do, I recommend talking to a few. Farms go down all the time because somebody died and the family can't afford the taxes.
2. Your comment "Waaah! He might propose tougher gun regulations," is a bit childish. If you choose not to be armed, that is your choice. However, as a victim of assault and stalking, I take offense at your suggestion, implied as it is, that I should not be trusted with a weapon, nor the right to defend myself. The fact of the matter is that there is far too much gun legislation as it is, all cutting into my rights. As it is, gun regulations do nothing to prevent crime and make criminals of otherwise law-abiding citizens. If you wish to live in a society where you have to wait for the police...well, good luck with that.
Again, I respect your comments, but please, in future, remember that these are my opinions.
