This is such a HUGE topic that I am loath to tackle it, but I shall indeed. Where to start? Government programs that provide various types of services to our citizens are growing ever more complicated that folks opt out of using them. Let's look at a few examples:
HIRING NEW WORKER INCENTIVES: Read this article from July 24, 2012 - Firms Pass Up Tax Breaks, Citing Hassles, Complexity. Politicians have used targeted tax breaks to try to influence the behavior of business, by essentially offering tax breaks for hiring more workers. But many small and medium size companies have found that participating in these programs to be confusing, time-consuming and not worth the effort.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE: Being an AARP member, I read articles on how and when best to apply for those mothers of all entitlements, Medicare and Social Security. These articles are LONG and COMPLICATED and leave me more confused than before I started to read them. Try reading this one (selected randomly). I pray that we have all of our mental faculties available to us when we reach this point, because you don't want to make a mistake with this one, believe me. The only conclusion that we have come to is that we should continue to work until we drop; that way, we won't have to find out if we pulled our various Medicare and Social Security triggers at the right times and in the right ways.
READ THE LAWS BEFORE VOTING: Our lawmakers pass ever more complicated laws, and why? I suspect that it is because they are not required to READ or more importantly, UNDERSTAND the laws they pass. They just have to vote on them, whether they make an sense or not. Also, there is the tendency to pass new laws while seldom repealing old ones, whether they need repealing or not. Nobody gets re-elected by repealing outdated laws, do they?
PUT THEM IN A ROOM AND MAKE THEM DO THEIR TAXES WITHOUT HELP: I've always believed in this one. Put all the lawmakers in one big room with a PC, a tax program, a calculator, and a phone. Make them do their taxes themselves, while dining on Mac & Cheese. Then have the IRS audit them before they leave, and fine them if they make any mistakes - just like the rest of us. Just like any good idea, it'll never happen. Or if it does, they'll find a way around it. Example: California legislators have recently been required to pass a budget by a certain date or they don't get paid. So do they pass the budget? Nope! At least, not a REAL budget. They get around the law by passing some BS budget that will never work, and was never intended to be the budget. It passes the letter of the law by being a budget, but in name only. Sigh.
