Tuesday

Why are You My Responsibility?

Like many have found, if you want to get your blood boiling flip on over to some local public TV channels. I am not sure about your area, but I count four such stations in my area. All I hear lately when I stumble across these programs is a lot of politicians fighting very hard for my money, and your money. That is interesting because the last time I checked, you and I give over 50% of our earnings each year in some form of tax. Not just income taxes, but all taxes, and there are literally hundreds of them that you and I are paying each day. For many of these taxes you may not have even made the connection that you're paying a hefty tax burden. We are not just taking about income, real estate, sales taxes, etc. Everything produced that we buy has massive taxes built into the price. Gasoline has a huge tax for every gallon. Your heating and A/C bill has a lot of taxes. Your cable and phone bill is filled with corporate taxes passed on to you. It's literally endless and they're coming for more.

I'm sorry, but based on intelligent and objective observation and information, I do not buy into what a politician or group says when they say it will be the end of the world if we make cuts in government budgets. I even saw some yahoo bureaucrat playing the irrational fear card saying 70,000 children will die if a budget is passed. C'mon man, have some dignity when you speak. Here's the thing. If you are somehow unaware of just how inefficient and wasteful government is, well then I guess you're just a really unaware person. I believe this would be where the term "under a rock" is appropriate.

I hear countless horror stories of what will happen if a 5% or 9% cut is made in some government services. It's just not true, and if it is true, I'm sorry, but you are not my responsibility. You are your own responsibility. The overwhelming majority of people dependant on the government are people that just consistently make poor decisions and who are fighting hard for a life of inaction and to see how little they can do, all on the backs of those striving for more, preparing themselves, and working hard.

How is this okay? I know to millions of Americans this is not okay, and they are working to reverse the course we are on. What about the rest of you? I give a lot of money in taxes every year to fund the government, well beyond what I take out of the system. I give more than enough for traffic lights, police, and a court system. I snicker because watching this program they always bring up traffic lights. We are not talking about traffic lights. So why is it right for one man to have to live for the sake of another? I'm genuinely curious. I have a very open mind and I'm ready to listen. As anyone who knows me can attest, I'm a pretty good guy and I'd show up in the snow to help you move if you asked me.

What I think would be helpful isn't taking more and more and lessening everyone's standard of living overall, but to promote an environment where people are no longer de-incentivized. Think about this. How motivating is it for a child or person who is considering college to know that half of their work day and half of their year will be taken from them? They are going to wake up each day and go to work to fund those who don't put in nearly the same effort. Seriously, we already work six months per year to pay some form of tax. Let that sink in. As many of you know, it will never be enough for many. They want more and more, and you are supposedly a bad person if you don't want to give it up. Guess what, you're not bad. You're rational.

By the way, isn't compassion not creating a bunch of helpless people dependant on the government? Is it compassion to give people something for nothing in the form of low grade government services? I will show my compassion by promoting an environment for people to be incentivized, achieve, grow, and be self-reliant. Compassion is believing and encouraging people to be a productive self-supportive individual leading their best life possible. Compassion is not handing people and groups money just because they are the squeaky wheel. How about this local "public" stations? Why don't you mix in some sensible citizens on your shows instead of politicians concerned with saying the right thing? I'm sure these people represent some people's thinking, but certainly not mine.

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