Nothing is Certain in Life but Death and Taxes, Taxes, Taxes...

Ben Franklin's old adage has never been more true.  Today the average working American works from January 1 to the middle of May to pay off what s/he owes to the government on April 15.  I do not understand why more Americans do not see this as simply horrendous.  Low taxes are part of what make this free market economy work and should be striven for at all times.
  First let's look at the reasons for having high taxes.  The obvious benefactors are huge government programs, many of which are necessary but at the same time there are many that can be reduced if not eliminated entirely.  President Clinton passed the largest tax increase in history on EVERY American in 1993 and then used it not to pay off the deficit but to sponsor many massive programs.  In 1996 he declared the "era of big government" to be over and two years later, when he found himself with a budget surplus, decided to reverse that remark (without telling anyone of course) and propose a bunch of new programs.  The budget surplus, if there is one (I have my doubts), is a direct result of the good economy (which could be even better with tax cuts), not of any of Clinton's programs.  Of course he tried to take credit for it, even though it's far more likely that Reagan's policies of the 1980s are now being realized in full (these things take time).  Ugh, I cannot stand the man.
  Of course the Bush-Clinton tax increases nullified the Reagan tax cuts that helped the country to come out of the crisis that was the Carter era (granted, it wasn't all his fault).  Now I simply fail to understand why Americans seem to not care about cutting taxes.  Well, it's time for a little Free Market Economics 101.  Americans in a republic built for the people deserve to keep as much of their money as possible, while still funding an efficient government that does many services for its citizens.  If allowed to keep that money, what do we do with it?  Put it back into the economy!  We spend it, invest it, or save it (and in turn banks invest it).  What does all this do?  It generates more tax revenue!  So, lower tax rates spur the economy and allow more money to be generated all around, which an efficient government (I know I'm dreaming with the efficiency notion, but we can work on it) can use to greater effect.  Simple?  Very.
  I could hardly write a page about taxes without discussing the issue of redistribution of wealth.  In grand Robin-Hood style, many liberals advocate the notion of taxing the rich in much higher percentages than the poor in a practice Rush calls "punishing achievement."  Another simply horrific idea.  The answer to helping the poor is not creating a system of class warfare where the affluent are punished for working hard and achieving financial success.  If all income brackets were taxed at roughly the same rate the rich would still pay more in taxes because they make more money!  It's simple math!  A simpler tax code would forbid them from finding all the loopholes, because there wouldn't be any.  Liberals claim it is only fair that the rich be made to look out for the poor.  Well this is certainly a noble cause, but redistribution is not the right way to go about it.  If the rich were allowed to keep more money they could be given incentives to invest it in helping out the less fortunate--founding new businesses, creating new jobs, etc.
  Let me close with a wise saying that sums up the difference between liberals and conservatives when it comes to the economy and taxes:  Liberals measure compassion by how many receive welfare.  Conservatives measure compassion by how many no longer need it.