Anti-tax = selfish  On 60 Minutes this week Andy Rooney was ranting about doing his taxes, about how cumbersome the tax code has become and that over half of the population needs help preparing their returns. But it was something that he said in an offhand manner that struck me. He doens't mind paying his taxes, as long as the money is spent well, which he thinks it generally is. I've always felt the same. How else do we expect our sidewalks and bike lanes to be built, our parks to be maintained, and all the other services on which we depend to be financed. There is so much an anti-tax rhetoric being spewed everywhere and it is rarely challenged. Saying you like paying taxes seems absurd, and yet most of us accept that burden. It occurred to me that the reverse is true, that being anti-tax is basically being selfish, to say that your needs are more important than those of the community.
posted by Bruce Wright at 4:50 PM #