Yes, I hate taxes

Have you seen this little ditty floating around the internet (e.g., on Facebook)?

Cute.

Here are my thoughts:

• Schools:  Along with Public School Employee Unions, low performing teachers, overpriced and bloated administrations, emphasis on testing rather than students? Average expenditure / student in US = $11,665. And you want MORE?
• Roads:  Along with Public Employee Unions, excessive benefits, civil service mentality, bureaucratic red tape? Try contracting roads to private firms to see efficiency in execution.
• Firefighters:  Along with early retirement pensions for some at upwards of 90% of final salary?
• Police Officers:  Along with early retirement pensions for some at upwards of 90% of final salary?
• Hospitals:  You mean like the ones run by the Catholic church?
• Paramedics:  A wonderful perk of living in the 21st century West.
• HAZMAT Teams:  Oh yeah, that must be a big line item in the budget.
• Soldiers:  Definitely.
• Sailors:  Definitely.
• Airmen:  Definitely.
• Marines:  Definitely.
• Coast Guard:  Definitely.
• Clean Air:  Not at the expense of bloated over-regulation.
• Clean Water:  Not at the expense of bloated over-regulation.
• Safe Food:  Not at the expense of bloated over-regulation.
• Pure Drugs: Not at the expense of bloated over-regulation.
• Child Protection:  As long as child protection agencies do not abuse their authority and power.
• Safe Products:  Not at the expense of bloated over-regulation.
• Air Traffic Control:  Yes, definitely. And fire them all (a la Reagan) if they try to go on strike.
• Space Exploration:  Robotic exploration is the future.
• Bridges:  Managed by government, contracted to private firms. Kind of like the transcontinental railroad.
• Tunnels:  Managed by government, contracted to private firms.
• Flood Defenses: Hopefully not as was managed in New Orleans (by the gov't)…
• Universities:  Like Stanford, Claremont, or Yale? Oops, those are private firms. Same comment regarding overpriced and bloated administrations.
• Museums:  Culturally enriching… yet a low priority for taxing the citizenry - ask the 1%'ers to help out.
• Science:  Science? Science couldn't exist without more taxes?
• Diplomatic relations with other countries:  Definitely.
• Public Parks:  The ones that are used frequently or the ones that sit empty for most of the week?
• Criminal Justice: Definitely.
• Medical Research: This can't happen without taxes? Oh yeah, when you socialize medicine, you take away incentives for private research - got it.
• National Forests:  Definitely.
• Care for the Elderly & Disabled: This is the government's responsibility?

 

Comments

[roger salinas]

Really, Rusty? You want to live in Somalia or any other third world country that lets its citizens scuffle along?

[Rusty]

Well, since we're going to extremes, would you rather we live as they did in the former U.S.S.R.?

[roger salinas]

No, but let's go towards the middle in a Jeffersonian Democracy where we assume civic responsibility to assist each other and build a better social good.

[Rusty]

I especially like these aspects of the Jeffersonian Democracy:

The national government is a dangerous necessity to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation or community; it should be watched closely and circumscribed in its powers.

The federal government must not violate the rights of individuals.

The federal government must not violate the rights of the states.

[roger salinas]

Dangerous or not, it is a necessity for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people,nation or community. If we went solely on states rights, we would STILL have slavery, voting rights extended only to white male land owners, merciless persecution of Jews and other non-Christians,child labor and countless other injustices that are contrary to our way of life.

[Rusty]

Don't forget the "should be watched closely and circumscribed in its powers". And don't forget that corruption in government is no respecter of whether it be at the local, state, or federal level.

[roger salinas]

Agreed