So you agree the voting age should be lowered?

Anyone who is taxed should be able to vote, yes. Ergo, a 14-year-old part-time worker should theoretically be able to vote.

I'm glad we're on the same page. So you would support a law that allows 14-year-olds to vote?

Does that also mean people on the dole should not be allowed to vote until they find a job and pay tax?

I win...for a bit anyway

@gobbledydook...I was laid off from my job in September and have been filing for unemployment since then while I job hunt. I can firmly say with no shadow of doubt that I am paying taxes on my unemployment benefits.

lets discuss our feelings.

Gobble, I do not hold this stance because of employment laws. Rather, a 14-year-old who works pays taxes on his or her income. A 14-year-old does not have to work. If a 14-year-old is not paying any taxes, then they should not be permitted to vote until they do. There is a certain point in time (I believe it's when you are no longer a minor, but I don't remember) when you pay taxes whether you are employed or not.

@Merirosvo ... no, I support a law that allows those who are being asked to somehow contribute to the greater system (through taxation, military service, or anything of the like) to vote. 14 is the earliest age that one can legally work as far as I know, though that might vary.

Where are my +1s? This thread is supposed to have 35 of them.

So then infants with trust funds should be able to vote?
Children are one of the biggest tax loopholes/breaks/shelters in existence.

Say Waahhhhhh for Democrat, Weeerrrrhhhhhh for Republican.

@ bo_sox: This is an interesting debate. Do you believe that someone who is a citizen of a country but, for whatever reason, pays no taxes (difficult given sales taxes / VAT etc, but still...) should have no vote?

(Note I am not taking a side on this issue at this point - I am just interested in seeing bo_sox elaborate his stance)

There's always Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" voting franchise system. You put your life on the line and serve in the military, you earn the right to vote.

There should be other mechanisms in place for determining who votes. Age, citizenship, criminal record, and other things that always come into play still should. Given, though, that this country was at least partially founded on the idea of "no taxation without representation," those who cannot vote on the basis of age (I am excluding those whose criminal record disallows it) either shouldn't be taxed, or they should be granted representation.

It is obviously far more complex than I am making it. You can find loopholes all day.

Eat your weed with nutella

But surely, if you have to pay tax on drug dealing earnings, you should also be allowed to vote.

That's illegal don't do that

It is illegal activity but nonetheless is taxable.

Everything is better with a bag of weed

Wowee, Draugnar got himself banned while I was on sabbatical, I'll bet there's a good story about that. I doubt that Dwagnar went quietly into the night, did he rage & rage against the fading of the light ?
My local news is that during schoolies a police paddy wagon lost it's numberplate, some carefree youth removed it whilst 6 or 8 police were standing about in close proximity

PS I WIN

Or do you?

Occasionally, yes

As Sensei JamesYanik would say, no.

no

Does the Last Person to Mute win?

That depends. Are you muting the thread? If so, maybe.