Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said: “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”
I agree. I don’t mind paying taxes, or government spending on defense, education, infrastructure, public safety, or to give a helping hand to those in need.
What I mind is OVERPAYING taxes because government recklessly overspends, and overspends, and overspends.
I mind paying HIGHER taxes because government wastes public money in an oftentimes spectacularly stupid manner.
I mind well-paid bureaucrats allowing that waste to continue because fixing the problem might be hard.
I mind my taxes being diverted away from vital services, programs and infrastructure to subsidize the extremely lazy, the extremely wealthy and the politically connected.
I mind paying year-after-year-after-year to subsidize those with a sense of entitlement so deep that they make no effort to better the lives of their own children.
I mind paying over 1/3 of what I earn while government racks up an exploding debt that will hobble my children – and their children – and limit their future opportunities.
I mind politicians and bureaucrats frittering away public money and resources on self-glorifying memorials to themselves.
I mind giving more and more and more of my hard work and money to overly generous public employee pay and benefits.
And, I mind my tax dollars being directed to political groups who then spend it on finding ways to take more of my tax dollars.
Taxes are necessary. Government can play a vital and positive role in our society. But too much of either is harmful.