Taxes.
Benjamin Franklin is famous for saying "in this world nothing is
certain but death and taxes." So, I ask you, would you prefer more
money and less infrastructure? Would you like fewer policemen and just
get a big fence around your yard? How about fewer working bridges and
everyone just own SUVs. Would you like fewer public schools and just
have to hire idiots, or worse foreigners?
These questions are not to piss you off (although it may do that for some of my family). It is to show you a small fraction of what our taxes pay for. In every other first world country taxes pays for universal health care. But I am not here to promote that, just give it as an example of what taxes can do.
There are people who take advantage of the system. I am more upset about a company that dodges taxes than the welfare cheat. Because we are talking about a lot more money. Lately, there seems to be a lot of sympathy for these 'job creators' but I don't have much sympathy for them when they get lots of tax deals from our government but still don't do much hiring. But I digress again, what I am really here to talk about is education funding.
In Arizona, we have Proposition 204 on the ballot in November, which would make permanent a one cent per dollar sales tax for education and jobs. I am all for it because our state legislature has slashed education spending to the bone. Would you like an example? Every year my sons class sends out a list of needed items such as paper towels, soap, glue and pens, ect. We never had to provide those things when I was a kid. Also, my son’s school does these fund raisers that use peer pressure to help get the school more money. Peer pressure? Yes, they have posters in front of the library with all the classes and each kids name with how much they have “sold.” In other words, how much they have gotten their parents and grandparents to give. This would be unheard of in a church or for a political fundraiser where amounts and names are hush hush. When our school superintendent says we are using the funds more wisely, what he means is they are paying the low salaries and for some supplies.
So kids (like mine) need these dollars to keep their schools better funded. What really gets my ire is that the opposition to this proposition is saying it will fund “special interests.” So education has become a special interest? Well it is of special interest to me to make sure my children are not idiots and education has everything to do with that. Education is an investment in the future economy of the state. You want a crappy economic future? Don’t fund education.
Lastly, I would like to ask; do you want this country to be more like the USA or more like a third world country? It seems that many uber-rich wouldn’t mind turning the USA into a third world country as long as they don’t have to pay. Well, if you are not fighting for your country, then at least you could help keep the country running. Freedom isn’t free and if you are not going to pay with your blood, then you should at least pay your fair share of the green.
These questions are not to piss you off (although it may do that for some of my family). It is to show you a small fraction of what our taxes pay for. In every other first world country taxes pays for universal health care. But I am not here to promote that, just give it as an example of what taxes can do.
There are people who take advantage of the system. I am more upset about a company that dodges taxes than the welfare cheat. Because we are talking about a lot more money. Lately, there seems to be a lot of sympathy for these 'job creators' but I don't have much sympathy for them when they get lots of tax deals from our government but still don't do much hiring. But I digress again, what I am really here to talk about is education funding.
In Arizona, we have Proposition 204 on the ballot in November, which would make permanent a one cent per dollar sales tax for education and jobs. I am all for it because our state legislature has slashed education spending to the bone. Would you like an example? Every year my sons class sends out a list of needed items such as paper towels, soap, glue and pens, ect. We never had to provide those things when I was a kid. Also, my son’s school does these fund raisers that use peer pressure to help get the school more money. Peer pressure? Yes, they have posters in front of the library with all the classes and each kids name with how much they have “sold.” In other words, how much they have gotten their parents and grandparents to give. This would be unheard of in a church or for a political fundraiser where amounts and names are hush hush. When our school superintendent says we are using the funds more wisely, what he means is they are paying the low salaries and for some supplies.
So kids (like mine) need these dollars to keep their schools better funded. What really gets my ire is that the opposition to this proposition is saying it will fund “special interests.” So education has become a special interest? Well it is of special interest to me to make sure my children are not idiots and education has everything to do with that. Education is an investment in the future economy of the state. You want a crappy economic future? Don’t fund education.
Lastly, I would like to ask; do you want this country to be more like the USA or more like a third world country? It seems that many uber-rich wouldn’t mind turning the USA into a third world country as long as they don’t have to pay. Well, if you are not fighting for your country, then at least you could help keep the country running. Freedom isn’t free and if you are not going to pay with your blood, then you should at least pay your fair share of the green.
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