Posted 9:59 pm Friday, July 27, 2012
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Too Much Government; July 27
While cutting the overgrown grass on the city median in front of my house that is supposed to be maintained by the city, I wondered to myself, “Just what does government do well?” The answer unfortunately is, not much, including cutting the grass.
I got to thinking that other than the processes of assessing and collecting taxes, city, county, state and federal governments have become woefully inept at doing what they were originally intended to do. Maybe it’s because they have grown to unmanageable sizes and taken on functions that are better served in the private sector that has them distracted. There aren’t many services provided by today’s governments that are efficient or effective, such as education and healthcare.
Another example, the mail showed up while I was cutting the grass. This was a Saturday. Why do I need to receive a bill on Saturday when Monday would probably do just fine? Eliminate Saturday deliveries and you save 16 percent on delivery costs. Simple decision, yet apparently impossible.
Perhaps we need to let governments stick to the basics, like defense and infrastructure, and leave everything else to the private sector.
I know I pay more than my fair share in taxes, yet I receive less than my fair share in services. Just what is “fair” is another discussion, but why can’t we all pay the same percentage, whatever that percentage is, so that we all have a vested stake in the government? A simple 10 percent tax on the guy making $10,000 is the same sacrifice as a 10 percent tax on the guy making $100,000, or 10 percent on the guy making $1,000,000.
Why do we penalize success? As long as we continue with our system of disproportionate taxing, there are going to be those that pay nothing, or very little, yet feel entitled to receive benefits without contributing. Rewarding people for making poor life decisions does nothing but perpetuate the current broken system.
I’m not that old, but old enough to realize that the simpler days are gone forever. I like to subscribe to the KISS method – “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” We continually seem to find ways to make everything more difficult, especially anything to do with our governments.
Steve Himes
Tyler
I got to thinking that other than the processes of assessing and collecting taxes, city, county, state and federal governments have become woefully inept at doing what they were originally intended to do. Maybe it’s because they have grown to unmanageable sizes and taken on functions that are better served in the private sector that has them distracted. There aren’t many services provided by today’s governments that are efficient or effective, such as education and healthcare.
Another example, the mail showed up while I was cutting the grass. This was a Saturday. Why do I need to receive a bill on Saturday when Monday would probably do just fine? Eliminate Saturday deliveries and you save 16 percent on delivery costs. Simple decision, yet apparently impossible.
Perhaps we need to let governments stick to the basics, like defense and infrastructure, and leave everything else to the private sector.
I know I pay more than my fair share in taxes, yet I receive less than my fair share in services. Just what is “fair” is another discussion, but why can’t we all pay the same percentage, whatever that percentage is, so that we all have a vested stake in the government? A simple 10 percent tax on the guy making $10,000 is the same sacrifice as a 10 percent tax on the guy making $100,000, or 10 percent on the guy making $1,000,000.
Why do we penalize success? As long as we continue with our system of disproportionate taxing, there are going to be those that pay nothing, or very little, yet feel entitled to receive benefits without contributing. Rewarding people for making poor life decisions does nothing but perpetuate the current broken system.
I’m not that old, but old enough to realize that the simpler days are gone forever. I like to subscribe to the KISS method – “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” We continually seem to find ways to make everything more difficult, especially anything to do with our governments.
Steve Himes
Tyler
