The tax collector must love poor people, he's creating so many of them.

In this quote, Bill Vaughan humorously critiques the role of the tax collector in society, suggesting that they must "love poor people" because their actions, through taxation, are contributing to the creation of more poor individuals. The humor here lies in the irony of the situation: rather than helping to alleviate poverty, the tax collector—representing government taxation—could be seen as exacerbating it. Vaughan uses sarcasm to point out the unintended consequence of high taxes, where the burden on the less wealthy leads to even greater financial hardship.

Vaughan’s comment highlights a common criticism of the tax system, where individuals with lower incomes are often disproportionately affected by taxes. By saying the tax collector "must love" poor people, Vaughan is pointing out the paradox where policies designed to generate revenue from the public can inadvertently worsen economic inequality. The idea that the tax collector is "creating" poverty reflects the view that the system doesn’t always function in ways that benefit the working class or the poor.

The quote also carries a tone of irony and satire, which was characteristic of Vaughan’s writing. He often used humor to comment on social and political issues, making light of the contradictions inherent in everyday life and societal structures. In this case, the humor comes from the way Vaughan flips the typical view of tax collectors as public servants, suggesting that they are, in fact, contributors to the very issue they are supposed to address.

Ultimately, Vaughan’s quote serves as a critique of the taxation system and its impact on the poor, highlighting the paradox of a government or institution that, while claiming to serve the public, may end up deepening financial inequality. Through humor and irony, he invites reflection on how taxes are structured and whether they truly serve the best interests of all citizens.