Sunday, July 10, 2005

The Independent Tribune Doesn't Get It

The editorial in today's Independent Tribune was titled, "Users fees a bad idea for county". I am not surprised the editorial staff took the position they did. They are more comfortable with the redistribution of wealth than a free market.

What is wrong with user fees? What is wrong with paying for the services you use?

In a truly free market, user fees would be the sole source of revenue for government at all levels. Our U.S. Constitution allows tariffs and excise taxes. Regretfully, our Constitution has been ignored and we have become burdened with every tax imaginable!

Here is a paragraph from the editorial.

"Penalizing those who use our parks, libraries and senior centers by making them pay to use them almost defeats the purpose of having them in our community"

What?!!!

What does it mean when we have to pay to use restaurants, movie theatres and hardware stores? Does that defeat the purpose of having them in our community?

Of course not!

It's called market economics. When your family rents a video, do you expect your neighbor to pay for it? When your child needs a new pair of glasses, do you try to force your friends to help pay for them?

I would hope not! That would be highly uncivilized! Our government should be held to the same standard.

Taking money from one person, by force, and giving it to another person is socialism, plain and simple!

Here is another paragraph from the editorial

"What do our property tax dollars go to if we can't go to Frank Liske Park, the Village Park Amphitheatre in Kannapolis or one of our senior centers for a program unless we shell out $5 or even $2?"

Well, I can tell you where they should go!

To protect our Lives, Liberty and Property; to protect the innocent from force and fraud; to enforce contracts.

The reasons I listed above were the same justifications our Founding Fathers used in establishing our Republic.

In a free society, user fees are the most natural and just way to pay for anything, public and private.

The editorial failed to mention the fact Bob Carruth introduced the idea of user fees. It is no secret that Bob and myself often disagree politically. However, he has my full support on this issue.

I just hope the rest of the commission will at least consider this idea.

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