Anti-tax fervor undermines the common good
Neal Pierce
Seattle Times
Syndicated columnist
Where will anti-government sentiment call it "libertarian," "tax revolt" or "tea party" take America's cities and towns?
For a top example, Governing magazine's current edition features the draconian measures under way in Colorado Springs, Colo. Responding to anti-tax sentiment that was thriving well before the current recession, the city laid off more than 550 city workers, let street medians go to weeds, closed all its swimming pools and turned off a third of its streetlights.
Beyond all that, Colorado Springs has cut bus service by 100,000 hours, with zero evening or weekend trips — a move that literally strands transit-dependent residents.
Colorado Springs is clearly an extreme. Known for its right-wing politics, it was an early adopter of tax-limitation legislation and has amazingly low property taxes — about $55 per person per year. It relies heavily on sales taxes, also down in the recession. Last November, citizens refused in a referendum to raise property levies to meet rising needs.
So is all of this bad? If people don't want to pay higher taxes, why not cut services? On a quick inspection, Governing correspondent Zach Patton reports, the town doesn't look that seedy. And he quotes City Council member Sean Paige, a self-described libertarian: "There's a crybaby contention in town that says we need to raise taxes."
(More here.)
Seattle Times
Syndicated columnist
Where will anti-government sentiment call it "libertarian," "tax revolt" or "tea party" take America's cities and towns?
For a top example, Governing magazine's current edition features the draconian measures under way in Colorado Springs, Colo. Responding to anti-tax sentiment that was thriving well before the current recession, the city laid off more than 550 city workers, let street medians go to weeds, closed all its swimming pools and turned off a third of its streetlights.
Beyond all that, Colorado Springs has cut bus service by 100,000 hours, with zero evening or weekend trips — a move that literally strands transit-dependent residents.
Colorado Springs is clearly an extreme. Known for its right-wing politics, it was an early adopter of tax-limitation legislation and has amazingly low property taxes — about $55 per person per year. It relies heavily on sales taxes, also down in the recession. Last November, citizens refused in a referendum to raise property levies to meet rising needs.
So is all of this bad? If people don't want to pay higher taxes, why not cut services? On a quick inspection, Governing correspondent Zach Patton reports, the town doesn't look that seedy. And he quotes City Council member Sean Paige, a self-described libertarian: "There's a crybaby contention in town that says we need to raise taxes."
(More here.)
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1 Comments:
The common good is subjective. What I think as the common good may not be something someone else thinks is the common good. To me, the 'common good' is something the government provides that the private sector does not. For example: courts, law enforcement, military, and so on. Private police forces are commonly referred to as 'gangs'. Private courts are kangaroo courts. On the flipside, education, for example, is not a common good. No one disputes that if government did not provide education that education would cease to exist. There is a cavalcade of private schools from pre-school to graduate school all across the country. But, the headline of the article misses the point entirely (which liberals are wont to do). The fervor out there in the electorate is all about spending - stimulus packages, bailouts, massive borrowing, and on and on.
Personally, I am getting to the point where I think we ought to bankrupt this country as fast as we can so we can just start over rather than keep fighting to keep our country solvent. I am seriously considering getting everything I can out of every conceivable government program I qualify for otherwise someone else will beat me to it. And why not? If the government is going to bribe me with my money to get me to vote for more government, should I at least cash in on the bribe?
The common good? There is no common good.
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