Who Says Citizenship Must Be All Or Nothing?

I fucking hate that trump is president. He is a vile pig and he does not represent or embody a single thing I stand for. Not one! But the flip side of this, is that is exactly how the magats felt about Biden.  And despite that in both cases we vehemently opposed the president and his administration, we are expected to, what?, drop our morals, our beliefs and our convictions and play along like good little Americans? Or are we to be forcibly dragged along as unwilling political hostages because we live in the US?

No US citizen should be forced to fund a government that is antithetical to their moral and ethical beliefs.

I consider myself a political hostage. And I also recognize that I am a victim of forced complicity. Like most all of us, I am a tax payer. Which means that the money I am forced to pay to the federal government is being used, against my will, to commit genocide in Gaza, to help putin overthrow the nation of Ukraine, is paying for masked goons to obliterate innocent families, is funding terrorism and state-sanctioned murder in our streets, is being used to suppress the will and the voice of the American people, and is propping up and further enriching the predatory billionaire class – and I am not OK with any of that!

Why must our citizenship be an all or nothing situation?

Why can’t we have an “Opt Out” clause? If the results of a presidential election are fully antithetical to one’s morality, beliefs and ethical compass, why can’t we take a pass? I say we can, and by allowing citizens to “Opt Out”, the US, in return, gets an even stronger democracy.

How Would An Opt Out Option Work?

Implementing a federal tax Opt Out program could be a pretty simple thing. Any taxpayer should be able to submit a basic document declaring their “Opt Out” status. By doing so that individual is declaring their full dissent and opposition to the administration currently in power.

While in Opt Out status the individual becomes nearly exempt from federal taxes for the duration of the presidential term, so four years, while at the same time, an individual in “Opt Out” status forfeits their rights to any and all federal entitlement programs such as Medicaid, SNAP and other welfare benefits, would be ineligible for any government assistance programs including school financial aid, Healthcare Marketplace offsets, federally assisted loan and mortgage programs, etc. The basic thrust being that if you are Opting Out in defiant opposition to the existing administration, you also forfeit any rights or claims to any federal government benefits, entitlements or assistance programs.

What Taxes Would Be Required Under Opt Out?

While in Opt Out, the individual will not pay into federal taxes via payroll deductions or through any other means. Rather, the individual must still adhere to and file federal tax returns per usual rules and processes, but, regardless of how much their tax burden may be, the individual would file their taxes and pay only a $1000 “infrastructure usage fee”. The remainder of the individuals assessed tax liability, as determined by their tax filing, would be deferred throughout the remainder of the Opt Out period (so for the duration of the current presidential term).

At the termination of the Opt Out period, the individual would then be required to pay 50% of the deferred federal tax liability, less the $1000/year already paid. This allows the dissenting individual to shift their tax dollars to the new administration’s coffers.

During the Opt Out period, individuals would still need to pay their tax obligations to state and local governments, sales taxes, and every other tax they are obligated to pay.

What About Social Security And Medicare?

For those sill working and earning income, their wages will not be subject to any federal tax withholdings. This means their contributions to Social Security and Medicare will be suspended for the duration, thus resulting in less money being available to them at retirement.

For those electing Opt Out who are collecting Social Security and are on Medicare, they will continue to receive their payments and Medicare service, undisrupted by Opt Out. It cannot be stressed enough, that Social Security and Medicare are your dollars! The federal government has been taking that money from you, without your consent, since your very first paycheck. Those are your funds and the federal government has no right to withhold them under any circumstances.

How Would An Individual Initiate Opt Out?

Following the inauguration of a president, a US taxpayer who is in complete opposition to the newly elected president would be able to exercise their right to Opt Out. They would do so by declaring their Opt Out status when filing their federal tax return for that year. A taxpayer may only file Opt Out status in the year of the inauguration and the Opt Out status would last for the full presidential term of 4 years. If the president is reelected, the individual taxpayer would need to re-execute their Opt Out status.

Can A Taxpayer Opt Back In?

Yes, however, opting back in would require immediate federal tax compliance using the same methods and procedures as are applied to late tax filings, including penalties and fees.

Who Can Opt Out?

Opt Out would never be available to a business or any corporate entity. It can only be invoked by an individual taxpayer filing singly on the return in which they declare their Opt Out status, so it would apply to all tax filing statuses except for married-filing-jointly.

Any individual taxpayer should have the right to Opt Out from being forced, through mandatory taxation, to fund a government that does not represent them, by its engagement in acts that destroy our democracy, undermine our Constitution, or which perpetrate violations which are inhumane, immoral, corrupt, illegal or are otherwise an affront to people, planet or society.

The intent of this article is to inspire innovative ways for us to reimagine democracy, society, and rules by which we consent to be governed.