On Friday, star rapper Cardi B dropped a track worth listening to . . . on tax reform. Cardi B isn’t famous for her economic analysis — her employment strategies are questionable, if the lyrics to “Bodak Yellow” are any indicator (“I’m a boss, you a worker bitch, I make bloody moves”), although she does ensure that she is paid for her work (“I’m there, I get paid a fee, I be in and out them banks so much I know they’re tired of me”). But after signing an enormous check to the government for taxes, she’s had enough of the IRS:
She stated:
Aight, so you know the government is taking 40 percent of my taxes, and Uncle Sam, I want to know what you’re doing with my f****** tax money, because you know what I’m sayin’, like, when you donate, like, when you donate to a kid from a foreign country, they give you updates of what they doing with your donation.
I want to know what you’re doing with my f****** tax money, because I’m from New York and the streets is always dirty, we was voted the dirtiest city in America.
What is y’all doing?
There’s still rats on the damn trains. I know y’all not spending it in no damn prison, because y’all be giving n***** like two underwears, one jumpsuit, for like five months, so what is y’all n****** doing with my f****** money? What is y’all doing with my f****** money? I want to know! I want receipts! I want everything! I want to know what y’all n****** doing with my f****** money! What is y’all n****** doing with my f****** money? Uncle Sam I want to know what you’re f****** doing with my motherf****** money.
Yes.
Indeedy.
Do.
Cardi B is eminently correct. And this is the reason why it is such a mistake for Republicans to give up the mantle of fiscal conservatism in favor of big-spending payouts to various interest groups. Everybody’s paying taxes. And those taxes are being wasted. If Congress truly wants to do something important, they should end the process of tax withholding and instead force everyone to sign a check personally to the government. Then we might be ready for some real conversations about serious spending.