Speaking last week about the “death tax” cut passed under President George W. Bush, which will sunset at the end of 2010, Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-7) offered an analogy for the necessity of taxing inheritance that seemed to be more reminiscent of an Austen/Thackeray/Dickens novel and less about government revenue (while, of course, calling for increasing government revenue):

‘Because I firmly believe that, you know, we’re not England, we’re not into landed gentry. Just because my grandfather did well, doesn’t mean I’m entitled to a yacht.’