Let’s All Get HAPPY

I saw a disturbing item on the local news recently that I thought needed to be looked into.  It seems a bill has been introduced into the House of Representatives (here’s the Library of Congress link - http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3501:) that would allow a tax deduction of up to $3,500 for owners of “domesticated” pets.  Officially, it’s HR3501.  But, it has a really catchy name.  It’s the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act.  My how the entitlement society is blossoming.

Surely I thought, the limousine liberals were behind this one.  Maybe Nancy’s poodles need doggy day care paid for or something like that.  But, while there are two Democrat co-sponsors, the bill was sponsored my Michigan’s own Republican Representative Thaddeus McCotter!!!

So here we are borrowing billions from China, and we’re thinking about reducing the tax burden of people who choose to own pets.  And, it’s being pushed as a health care bill ("We think this is as much a health care bill as any," said Nancy Perry, vice president of government affairs at the Humane Society of the United States. "It's a human health issue to ensure that pets are provided with better care because of the role they play in our families.")..  Now I know there actually are some people who do benefit medically from the presence of a pet.  But, this bill applies to everyone.

Alexis de Tocqueville said "The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.".  Karl Marx said "Democracy is a form of government that cannot long survive, for as soon as the people learn that they have a voice in the fiscal policies of the government, they will move to vote for themselves all the money in the treasury, and bankrupt the nation."  I am greatly disappointed that this bill comes from a “conservative” Republican.  It seems the new Republican is no longer fiscally conservative.  The party is overly concerned about social issues, but not fiscal issues.  And, at that, their stand on many social issues is not truly conservative.

So let’s all thank Representative McCotter for an opportunity to get HAPPY.

Comments

[Ceart]

Jerry - Look at it as McCotter finding a way to give the taxpayers back some of their money. Still, I can see the possibility of abuse and fraud by almost everyone.

[Timo Kokko]

Good post Jerry. It is no wonder the Republicans lost last cycle with this sort of nonsense. Today's votes in NJ, VA, and NY will undoubtedly be over analyzed, but will be interesting anyhow.

[Jerry Scarborough]

Ceart,

If McCotter wants to give us some money back, he could do it with an across the board tax cut. Not this nonsense. I am a pet owner. That does not entitle me to any special considerations not given to non pet owners.

And, by the way, if you read the bill (it's pretty short), you'll notice there's no definition of "domesticated". Are dog, and cat owners entitled, and fish, gerbil, and reticulated python owners not entitled? Is an ant farm covered? BALDERDASH!!!!

This is one more instance of the entitlement society. It's not only bad policy, it's shoddy legislation. And it's brought to you by someone who will campaign as a fiscal conservative next year. Regardless of party, we need new blood, and new thinking amongst our public office holders.

[Ceart]

Jerry - I was half joking (but not the part about OUR money). Every year when I do my taxes, I have to skip over all the deductions designed for people who don't even pay taxes and wonder when I am going to be able to get one. Well, I have a dog and three cats (and a ton of fish). Of course, you are absolutely right about across the board tax cuts.

You can see how something like this can be abused. Is pet food covered? what about gerbils to feed the reticulated python?

[Aubrey Marron]

How do they define "domesticated"? I have three cats, but they think I'm the domestic...

[yournamehere]

Jerry, there are people who use dogs as Service Dogs, who have tried to put them on their tax return as deductions under durable medical goods (legitimately) for years, and are audited or disallowed. Owning a service dog is very expensive as you can't just bath them or groom them whenever you get a chance, their appearance and cleanliness must be unimpeachable. You have to make sure their shots are impeccably up to date, and you must make sure that any illness is looked after immediately, you can't just wait it out. They are a huge investment in time and money as well as emotional. Even after all that, a deduction of $3500/yr is hard to get past the IRS. You can only take a portion of your expenses. And, as I said, they're looked at as durable medical equipment, not "pets", so you would think you should be able to deduct whatever is necessary.

I really think it's ridiculous to allow such a huge deduction for a pet owner, no matter why this yahoo wants to try to pass it. It's foolish.

[Comrade Tang]

Two dogs and a cat here. Unlike Ceart I have no need or use for gerbils in my home.

Speaking of pets the SF libs are laying down the law out West.

http://www.sphere.com/2009/11/03/san-francisco-votes-to-ban-cat-declawing/

[Ceart]

aaahhhh Comrade - Underhanded funny. I was thinking of them as food for the snake. I can see where your mind is though. You have been watching too much South Park. ROTFLMAO

[Andrew Smith]

Most excellent post, Jerry. I totally agree that this is the thinking of politicians in an entitlement society. It's merely a shell game and a distraction from the core issue: politicians justify confiscating our money by giving us a pittance of it back, and for the silliest of reasons. Targeted tax assistance just moves money around from one area of the federal budget to another.

The tax system is broken because the monetary policy in this country is broken. With no restraints on spending thanks to worthless fiat currency, Congress is convinced that they will eventually solve the problem of busted budgets and deficit-based financing, if we only give them enough time. They've had 75 years since FDR to get this right. Enough is enough; tax reform and monetary reform go hand in hand. We've only been spared because we command the reserve currency. That is ending now and there will be painful decisions that have to be made to maintain our standard of living.