A lot of people talk about the weather, but nobody really does anything about it. This used to bug me, but now it seems like an OK way to go.

Because next to the weather, the thing people probably talk about most is taxes, and in this case, there are people who are working hard to do something about them.

Some of these people really believe they are a Mission from some kind of God. It's an article
of this strange faith that "taxes are way too high"
and "government spending is out of control".

***

This is not actually true.

***

Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level
since 1950

Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.

Some political conservatives such as "Tea Party" activists have criticized federal spending as being out of control. While spending is up, taxes have fallen to exceptionally low levels.

***

Be that as it may - historically, people in any sort
of crusade situation are rarely  swayed by facts. One can rage, rant, sigh or blow a barrel of buckshot into the big screen, but nothing is ever going to change any of those minds.

***

Facts are simple and facts are straight
Facts are lazy and facts are late
Facts all come with points of view
Facts don't do what I want them to.

Crosseyed and Painless / Talking Heads

***

I don't like taxes much, but then I don't think
we're supposed to... our dislike of them should
be fairly visceral. The people we elect to spend our money should be aware of our feelings.

But while I don't like taxes, I do like...

clean drinking water

roads

libraries

the internet

and a whole lot of other useful, important things that come from those taxes. I want those things way, way more than I don't want to pay taxes.

***

Private sector people will tell you they don't like taxes either. They will tell you that while they are using that clean water, and those roads, and that internet.


The private sector might hate paying taxes,
but they love making up taxes of their very own.

Service charges are industry's new revenue dream stream.

And what do we get for our money when it goes to the private sector?

Barbies

The Vegematic

new flavours of potato chips

All you can eat buffets

the military-industrial complex

and most recently, of course,
the global recession

... created by the private sector, and bailed out by - you guessed it!

Our taxes.

***

This is nothing new. Ever since the 80s, the mantra has been "the government should be more like the private sector".

Maybe it's time to ask "Why can't the private sector be more like the government?"

Why can't the private sector bring us useful things, at reasonable prices while paying people a living wage?

- 30 -

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20100511/1ataxes11_st.art.htm


http://inventorspot.com/articles/melody_road_gives_whole_new_mean_8235

http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/Internet_History.htm

 

http://www.shallownation.com/2009/03/09/barbie-50th-anniversary-

barbie-photos-video/

.