“Are we in like Manner to be given up to the Disposal of the East India Company, who have now the Assurance, to step forth in Aid of the Minister, to execute his Plan, of enslaving America? Their Conduct in Asia, for some Years past, has given simple Proof, how little they regard the Laws of Nations, the Rights, Liberties, or Lives of Men. … Fifteen hundred Thousands, it is said, perished by Famine in one Year, not because the Earth denied its Fruits; but [because] this Company and their Servants engulfed all the Necessaries of Life, and set them at so high a Rate that the poor could not purchase them.”

That was the pamphlet that was sent out in response to the British government removing taxes from the East India Trading company in 1773. The Cry to accompany that pamphlet? No taxation without representation. Funny how one of the founding principals that caused the revolution is now something that has become a routine practice of it’s own.

As I opened my paycheck today, along with the usual taxes, I had an additional $52 taken out in occupation tax. See the city I work in differs from the city that I live in, so the city charges me an Occupation tax of $52 for the privilege of working in it. I’m sure we all have to pay some form of this tax should where we live differ from where we work but this is tax is the worse kind of hypocrisy not to mention illegal.

What exactly does “No Taxation without representation” mean? Well, it means that among other things, the fact that colonials were being subjected to a tax specifically against them, while having no representation in the British government that was taxing them. This type of unfair taxation is exactly what is happening to each of us that have to pay occupation tax. Being residents of another city, we have no say in the politics of the city we work in as we have no right to vote there.

Now, proponents of these taxes will say that as commuters, we cause a burden on the city we work in by using services we’re not paying for. Fire, ambulance, roads, etc need to be paid for, and why not tax the people who use them on a daily basis. The people that use this argument seem to forget something however. Not only does my employer pay taxes to the city for me working there as an employee, the fact that I’m in the city means that I buy things here and eat here. That should be more than enough to cover my share of the community services I’m using. Not to mention, being taxed with no representation is illegal.

Is the money the real issue here? Well, for me it isn’t, but considering that some people get paychecks of $100 and their first paycheck of the year will be half that, it’s probably a big deal to them. However, this is just another example of the bureaucracy doing what they want and being able to do so, because the victims of their robbery aren’t able to do anything about them. It’s one of those small battles that need fought because as time goes one, we keep venturing further and further away from the vision of the people who wrote that pamphlet.

Last 5 posts by Jeff Hopkins

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