Submitted to Shelton Blog by Katherine PriceNO TAXES - NO SERVICES
Taxes...most people find them to be a burden. I look upon them as dues I pay to live in the fanciest country club in the world, the United States of America. I look at taxes as what enables me to call the police, and have a policeman dispatched. I look at taxes as a way to build and maintain roads, bridges, and airports. Perhaps because I am not terribly wealthy, I don't object to paying taxes; but I would happily pay more.
If my taxes were half of what I make, and I could go to the doctor when I was sick or hurt without worrying about losing my home or bankrupting my family; if there were enough people to staff the county, city and state offices; if teachers were well paid and schools were well-funded; if the roads were in good repair and infrastructure projects received the lion's share of my money (rather than the Department of Defense); if policemen and firemen were well paid and had the benefits they need and deserve...I would not have a problem paying half of my income in taxes. These are the things that we can have when we all pay our "fair" share of taxes.
Was it right to tax candy and bottled water? The state thought so, and I believe it was in our best interest to have some revenue stream for the State of Washington to replace all the other taxes the voters have decided they did not like over the years.
Now, however, the voters have decided that taxing candy and bottled water is outrageous. Another revenue stream for the State of Washington drying up. I personally do not like sales tax in general, because I believe it disproportionately affects those of our citizens who can least afford it. But we do not have a state income tax, and the voters unequivocally said they do not want one, so where do the citizens of the State of Washington propose that we obtain revenue to operate our state? Since the voters did not like a tax on candy and bottled water, and they don't want an income tax, it might come as a terrible shock to them to know where some revenue will come from: an increase in hunting and fishing licenses is being proposed, and that is only the first of the fee increases to be proposed.
I don't like initiatives put on the ballot. I do not think I or any lay person should be in the business of writing legislation. Initiatives are usually proposed by someone who is going to benefit richly from their passage. Even when they are proposed by honest, honorable folks, they have unintended consequences.
We are about to see what the unintended consequences are of repealing taxes and failing to replace them with something else. I would imagine that fishing and hunting licenses are not the only fees that are about to be increased. Every type of fee the state charges for every service provided is being looked at right now. It is not enough simply to say we do not want to pay this tax or that tax, and to year in and year out decrease the revenue the state has to work with. The revenue must be replaced. If not with sales tax on candy and bottled water, then with increased fees somewhere else.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I can hear the hunters and fishers gnashing their teeth right now (even though these fees have not been increased since 1996). One political party in particular has convinced almost the entire population of this nation that taxes are the devil, and that they in some fashion only benefit fat-cat politicians or support lazy unemployed drug addicts. Taxes are the dues I pay to live in a civilized society, and to call the police or the fire department with some expectation that someone will respond.
As we continue to remove revenue from our state, our county, and our city, we can become less and less certain that anyone will even be there to answer the phone.
I'm from Illinois and that state DOES have an income tax, and a sales tax on everything, including food. And. . . Illinois is bankrupt. I'm willing to pay taxes, but that is not the answer to all money woes. There have to be cuts in spending, but the leaders always, always cut vital services and NEVER their own salaries.
ReplyDeleteToo true... how about a 20% across the board cut for all "leaders" and elected "public officials?"
ReplyDeleteGeorge C. Wallace, the notorious bigot and governor of Alabama, made a run for the presidency in 1968. As a card-carrying member of the ACLU, I was appalled when my father told me he intended to vote for him. But his reasoning was sound: He said that if we still live in a nation in which a man like George Wallace could be considered a viable candidate for the presidency of the United States, then we should just go ahead and elect him, and get on with the revolution.
ReplyDeleteForty-two years later, I find myself living in a time I can’t seem to relate too. Wrong is right, patriots are dragged to the gallows while corporate scumbags that never even considered serving their country are touted as pillars of the community. None of it makes sense to me. And on this day that we're supposed to be honoring our veterans, I find myself still waiting for the revolution.