Dozens of taxes didn't exist a century ago

To the editor:

I received this in my e-mail a few days ago and thought it might be worth printing.

Subject: Taxes ... food for thought.

Accounts receivable, building permit, capital gains, CDL license, cigarette, corporate income, court fines, dog license, federal income, federal unemployment, fishing license, food license, fuel permit, gasoline, hunting license, inheritance, interest, inventory, IRS interest charges, IRS penalties, liquor, local income, luxury, marriage license, Medicare, personal property, real estate, septic permit, service charge, Social Security, road usage, sales, recreational vehicle, toll booth, school, state income, state unemployment, telephone federal excise, telephone federal universal service fee, telephone federal-state-local surcharge, telephone minimum usage surcharge, telephone recurring and non-recurring charges, telephone state and local, telephone usage charge, toll bridge, toll tunnel, traffic fines, trailer registration, utility, vehicle license registration, vehicle sales, watercraft registration, well permit, worker's compensation.

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What do you think changed?

JAN MOYERS

Oak Ridge