vinemaple

Public Speaking tips #001: Death Income

This sentence contains my final use of the word "inheritance." The problem with the old term is that it might lead one to think that death income is a good thing, what with the old word's cloying connotations of devotion to kith and kin, but as this questionable perspective is only truly available to people who are already dead, it seems wrong to me to use the term in otherwise reasonable fiscal argument.

In the debate over death income, there are a couple of points to keep in mind about proper usage of the terminology.

1. Most importantly, death income, like other no-work income, is not "earned," it is collected. Don't use the term "unearned"-- it's unweildy, it has the incorrect "earned" in it, and it's already taken (my accountant friend tells me it means something difficult in the tax code).

2. Keep in mind that as bad as death income sounds to people like you and me, who live proper lives supporting ourselves with normal (that is, work) income, death income is even more objectionable when it is high or very high death income. Apply extra adjectives as appropriate.

So, to review:

Old way: "I think people recieving in-------ces should have them taxed as income, though maybe it could be amortized over several years, or..." (etc etc, blah blah, endless cringing, waffling, and appeasement).

New way: "I think people collecting high death income should be taxed at least as much as workers earning normal income.