There's a Nightmare in My Closet

And it's called TAXES!

by Leigh Pomeroy

One of my kids' favorite books when they were small was Mercer Mayer's "There's a Nightmare in My Closet." I think everyone knows the story:

There's a little boy who believes a monster lives in his closet. As it turns out, the monster, who is big and ugly and creepy, is just as afraid of the little boy as the boy is of him. They finally realize that they have a common bond and become friends. The end.

Many Minnesota Republicans insist there is a nightmare in their closet... and it's called TAXES! Taxes can be big and ugly and creepy if you perceive them to be that way, or they can become your friend if you respect them and utilize what they have to offer.

Generally speaking, higher taxes go with higher standards of living and more egalitarian societies. The Scandinavian countries are a good example. Minnesota is another good example. The quality of life in Minnesota is one of the highest in the nation. It is also a relatively high tax state.

Put simply, taxes are a shared way in which society pays for common properties, goods and services that everyone uses. Examples include schools, parks, roads, police and fire protection, and public defense (in the case of a nation). Taxes also help pay for health care, food, housing and business incentives.

Indeed, taxes are not to be feared but to be utilized.

The logic of treating taxes as if they are a nightmare hiding in a closet is beyond me, unless, of course, it is done for purely political reasons. In that case, treating taxes as if they were a big and ugly and creepy monster makes perfect sense if you put your own political agenda, personal opportunities and personal wealth above everyone else's. To me that's called selfishness — but I guess I'm old fashioned.

That said, I will be the first to acknowledge that not all tax systems are optimal. Complex tax codes create nightmarish administration costs and encourage tax cheating. Unfair tax systems stratify society and also encourage cheating. The best tax codes are the most simple and egalitarian.

Rather than be fearful of the monster in our closet we need to embrace him and make use of his talents. Heck, he can help us move our heavy bed and help us clean underneath it. He can lift us onto his shoulders and give us a ride around our bedroom. He can read books with us, like "Where the Wild Things Are." He can play catch with us, or even a good game of Scrabble. He can even scare away robbers that come creeping around late at night.

In other words, like in the Mercer Mayer book, the nightmare can be our friend. Or he can remain the terrible nightmare behind the closet door forever to be feared.

For many of Minnesota's Republican legislators, and for its governor, this is their choice. Fear or friendship? Selfishness or sharing? Which of these make the most sense?