Taxes and Trump

The great English/Irish statesman Edmund Burke always recognized that there were few acts of government more intractable than collecting taxes.

While it was virtually impossible to both tax and please, tax — all governments must.

That is why in his memorable 1774 speech on American taxation Burke argued that in formulating a tax policy, the British government should take into account two American “prepossessions:” fairness and evidence, through open declaration, that all citizens abided by their civic obligation to pay.

As President Donald Trump launches his tax reform proposals, he should follow these two hallowed Burkean principles.

He should begin by releasing his tax returns as a good faith gesture that he is not above the civic obligations of everyone else.

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 8:14 PM with the headline "Taxes and Trump."