Literally translated, “tithe” means ten per cent. Tithing, or the giving of 10 percent of one’s income, is a religious practice that goes back thousands of years and is a Judeo-Christian concept that has its roots in the Old Testament.
From Leviticus 27: 30-33: “A tenth of the land’s produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God’s. It is holy to God. If a man buys back any of the tenth he has given, he must add twenty percent to it. A tenth of the entire herd and flock, every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod, is holy to God. He is not permitted to pick out the good from the bad or make a substitution. If he dishonestly makes a substitution, both animals, the original and the substitute, become the possession of the Sanctuary and cannot be redeemed.”
The concept of tithing stems from the belief that God is all-giving; therefore, to show appreciation for our good fortune, we should willingly give back a portion of our bounty. We can look at tithing as a spiritual tariff and, according to the Old Testament, misfortune will befall the one who is not willing to pay the tax, while heavenly blessings will be bestowed upon those who do pay.
It’s a pretty convincing argument — considering the source — and it certainly helps the high priest collectors to avoid any dispute one might have with willingly giving of this 10 percent tax. Even so, it would be nice to be presented with an itemized statement listing all the benefits and goods received for the ten percent tithing, but then again “Because God said so,” should be all the receipt anyone needs. Even the gray areas of tithing can be clarified into black and white.
A More Modern Twist
Like tithing, the directive of the federal personal income tax is written in a revered document, although not quite so long ago and in language that is not as concise. The 16th amendment to the Constitution was passed by Congress in 1909 and ratified in 1913. However; it was not the first personal income tax imposed upon the American people. The first law to include a personal income tax was known as “The Revenue Act” and was passed by Congress in 1861 to help pay Civil War expenses.
Taxed wages were never popular. In fact, some years later, this tax was repealed, only to be replaced in 1894 by a flat tax that was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court “because it was a direct tax not apportioned according to the population of each state.” The 16th amendment allowed the Federal government to tax the income of individuals without regard to the population of each state by stating “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.”
Around the world, throughout time, taxes have been used as a means to pay for war, and in the United States it has been no different. It is interesting to note though that our country went to war to fight for its independence because of unfair taxes, which may be why our populace is so sensitive to the issue of raising taxes. Then again, maybe like tithing, we should institute a flat tax for everybody regardless of position or wealth. After all, if a 10 percent tax on everyone works for God, why couldn’t it work for the IRS? I’d still like an itemized receipt to show exactly where my taxes are being put to use, but hey, I do realize I will get what I get because “the IRS says so!”
Now, The Audio Angle
Audio, on the other hand, is not a tax, and should not be treated as such. We, the audio provider, are a service to help event producers, party planners, concert promoters and anyone else (including religious organizations) in need of pleasantly and clearly amplifying sound to reach a specified number of people in a determined location.
Why is it, then, that we are the last ones to get called for a gig, even though we are probably the least expensive of all the event components, and often one of the most important? It baffles me how, regardless of the gig, the client lines up the best and most expensive caterer in the nicest hall available. They arrange for a great light show and a three camera video crew to capture the event down to its most tedious little detail. They manage to secure a valet parking crew for the guests, and the floral arrangements are perfectly nuanced to create an effect of sublime beauty. The DJ is world-renowned for his amazing mixes and the entertainment for the evening is a huge international star whose name cannot be revealed due to a contractual non-disclosure clause.
After months of planning, the excited and weary hosts are a week away from their event when some brainiac on the event producing team reads the rider of the world-renowned artist and realizes that they are in need of audio to make their show a success. Lucky me, I get the call!
Taking into consideration what we are doing and where we are doing it, I work out a quote based upon their rider and what they require to make their show work. Unfortunately, the client has finalized their budget and the event producers have already started shifting their profits to offshore accounts by the time I’ve returned with my audio quote. The event producers, fearing that their profits will be gone, call me to discuss what can be done to deflate the bill. Of course, because of the big-name artist, very little can be done, and I suggest to them that in the future they might consider tithing to avoid any similar tragedies. Ha-ha! I don’t suggest that, nor do I recommend that they consider paying on an adjusted sliding scale, but I do propose that they figure out a way to satisfy their very important artist.
Weeping and Gnashing
As the event producer does not want to give up any of their lofty projected profits, they go back to the client with the news that it will now cost X amount of dollars more to produce the show. This, I am sure, causes no end to the weeping and gnashing of teeth. The producers, in order to save their collective ass, do not tell the client of their oversight and conveniently put the inflated cost on the shoulders of the audio company.
Then, to no surprise, I get a call. It’s the client who does not have another dime to her name and wants to know why I am raking her across the coals by adding to her already outrageous bill. She explains how she has paid an exorbitant amount for the artist and wants to know why she needs to pay any extra money. She wails to me that for the price she has paid to the artist, the audio should be included and that the extra charge just seems like an unfair tax. She beseeches me to reconsider and give her a break, seeing as I am not bringing gear to Madison Square Garden (I was waiting for that one).
She cries, she cajoles and she treats me like I am the taxman charging her a tariff for her expensive entertainment. I am sympathetic, but after a long while of listening to her weeping and gnashing of teeth I tell her that she should either get a better event producer, read the production rider or — when booking the band — ask the booking agent if there are any hidden costs of which she should be aware.
“Isn’t there anything you can do?” she pleads, one last time. At this point, I am worn out from the discussion, and my patience has been taxed in the highest possible bracket, and I respond in my deepest and most austere voice. “I am neither a charity nor a tax collector. I will provide a service for a fair market fee based on the your needs and the band’s requirements. For this service you will receive an itemized invoice, which is more than you will ever obtain from your religious organization or taxman. If these terms are unacceptable to you then the only other answer I can give you regarding the cost of the gear and the service provided is because AUDIO says so!”
