Guest Post by Eric Peters
Ever get tired of being mulcted? Yeah, me too. So I decided to stop being mulcted . . . at least a little bit. And decided to spend some of my money on something besides being mulcted… well, some of what’s left over of my money after being mulcted!
Repeatedly – serially – mulcted.
Uncle steals about 30 percent of every dollar the average person earns, in federal (including FICA “contributions”) and state income taxes.
With what’s left over, we buy things – which are taxed again at the time of purchase. Then taxed again – when it comes to vehicles – for a title (to something we already own – at least, supposedly) and then taxed once more to “register” it and again (in many states) for the mandatory privilege of “registering” it with the government, which then taxes every gallon of fuel we buy as well as every tire, brake pad and can of fuel-injector cleaner we buy to service and maintain it.
What was it the American Revolution was supposed to have accomplished?
Anyhow, all this paying is . . . taxing. Less for us – endless for them, the legions of parasites and thieves styled “government” and embodied by the grasping geezer called Uncle.
At some point, we must push back – or else we’ll end up with nothing at all.
I decided to end up with something this time – a new stereo for me. Which I was able to buy because I didn’t waste money on “registering” my old truck. I figure I have paid enough of that already.
How much? About $55 annually for the past 13 years, so $715. It is not small potatoes – especially when one considers the (roughly) $100 I am forced to hand over in addition to that each year – the property tax, aka, the extortion I must pay in order to be allowed to retain physical possession of the truck I paid for (in full – to the seller) 13 years ago.
That’s another roughly $1,300. Many people pay much more than that as the property tax is based on the value of the property. The more you own, the more Uncle steals.
How about gas taxes? It’s about 50 cents on every gallon in most states – so about $8 of every 15 gallon fill-up. Times four fill-ups a month times twelve equals about $290 more mulcting every year. Plus the mulcting for “emissions” and “safety” inspections, which most people are also forced to pay for. But leaving that aside and focusing on just the mulctings for “registration” and property and gas…
$2,305 in taxes – so far – on a truck I bought used for $7,000. It is equivalent to about a third of what I paid for the truck. And the paying (Uncle) never stops!
Well, it did – this once, just a little bit. Rather than pay the registration taxes (they are styled “fees” to make the illegitimate sound less so) I paid Crutchfield – and got myself something much more valuable to me than a stupid sticker to put on my truck’s ear tag (i.e., its license plate).
A new stereo – and speakers, too!
The sound is all the sweeter, knowing I “got away” (to use collectivist-speak) with not renewing the “registration.” It is almost as satisfying as kicking a government bureaucrat in the ass.
Not that I recommend doing this.
One runs the risk of a Hut! Hut! Hutting! for not having one’s papers in ordnung. This risk is greater in areas where there are ALPERs – automated license plate readers – which automatically scan every passing car and take note of any papers not in ordnung.
But, if you are lucky enough to live in for-now less dystopian area (such as my area, in The Woods) it is a reasonable risk to drive around with what is styled a “dead” registration. A situationally aware driver can reduce the chances of being identified as noncompliant by an armed government worker by being careful to avoid armed government workers.
Avoid being the only car on the road; always try to have a car behind you and in front of you – the harder to see your plates, my pretty.
Try not to be stopped at a red light without anyone stopped behind you, to block the view of your tags. Do not “speed” – or drive significantly below the posted speed limit. Do nothing to call attention to yourself. If you see an AGW rolling up in the rearview, casually turn off the road before the AGW gets close enough to see your plate.
Being sure to signal.
This isn’t foolproof, of course. Bad luck happens. And so does tyranny – in the form of a “safety” or DWI “checkpoint” – i.e., a Constitution-free zone where the former rules that prohibited what Gomez Addams once referred to as dirty pool have been suspended.
Ah well. We live in a very dirty pool nowadays.
But the good news is that having out-of-date registration is still a minor “offense” in the eyes of the vicious old bastard and his minions, the AGWs. It is not like not having the mandatory insurance, which will result in extreme repercussions. Or not having plates at all – which will result in the same.
If everything else is kopacetic, the worst that will usually happen is . . . another mulcting. You will be issued a piece of paper demanding more money – and requiring you to pay more money on top of that money for the stickers. But they’ll probably “let you go” without doing more to you, physically.
I supposed we should be grateful for that – but I’m not feeling it.
I do, however, love the sound of my new stereo!
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Civil disobedience at its finest. Thumbs up
Crutchfield is fantastic. I have 2001 Silverado 2500 HD with 197,000 miles on it….runs like a champ. My kids gave me new speakers a couple of years ago for my birthday. The sound is phenomenal. Still the original headset though so….I think it’s time to change that out. Keeping the old, good, solid vehicles alive, my friend! Great stuff from you, as always!
Any car over 25 years is an antique and tag registration is minimal like $25