[Dixielandjazz] SPEDIDAM

[Edgerton, Paul A]

Gary Kiser asks:
> Would you mail the [SPEDIDAM tax-advocating] postcard?

Yes I would, after writing that this tax must never be allowed to become
law.


> Could this sort of legislation ever pass in your country?

I'm afraid it could in the US.


> Could it even get to the ballot?

The problem is, it wouldn't HAVE to be on any ballot.  Who among us
voted for creation of the Department of Homeland Security?


There are two issues at play here:

In our Declaration of Independence we asserted that a just government
derives its power from the consent of the governed -- not by divine
right, not by heredity and certainly not as the result of a court
ruling.  Imposing Federal taxes raises numerous questions about this.

There is also the question of intellectual property (IP) -- What rights
does the producer of IP retain, and for what term?  Initially, the US
took the very sensible view that IP was granted legal protection for a
period of time in exchange for eventually become public domain and
thereby adding to general knowledge, benefiting all.

-- Paul Edgerton