We continue to hear about big government versus small government,
about doing the right thing for people versus staying out of people's lives,
about fair versus unfair taxation.
Yes, the role of government, personal freedom, and taxes are the talking points at the centerpiece of most political conversation.
I'm not really a one-side or the other kind of guy, and most of us are not. We know that there are no easy answers and 140 character Twitter comments or repetitive slogans help but they don't get to many who vote. Whether you live in a blue state or a red state or whether you are for or against a certain individual running for public office, the upcoming 2014 national elections are just around the corner; you might want to keep this in mind:
but that initiative has always been complementary
to our collective commitments.
You and I----"we"---make a powerful partnership!
So, how do "we" make the case for or against government, individual freedom, and taxes? Do YOU want smaller government and lower taxes???
Before answering too quickly, please check out the following list from the very interesting blog "What Would Jack Do?" It's a specific list of what NOT to do if you DON'T believe in taxation for the greater good. I'm not a negative person, but sometimes a focus on "no" is a way to make a point---here's the list:
- Do not use Medicare.
- Do not use Social Security
- Do not become a member of the US military, who are paid with tax dollars.
- Do not ask the National Guard to help you after a disaster.
- Do not call 911 when you get hurt.
- Do not call the police to stop intruders in your home.
- Do not summon the fire department to save your burning home.
- Do not drive on any paved road, highway, and interstate or drive on any bridge.
- Do not use public restrooms.
- Do not send your kids to public schools.
- Do not put your trash out for city garbage collectors.
- Do not live in areas with clean air.
- Do not drink clean water.
- Do not visit National Parks.
- Do not visit public museums, zoos, and monuments.
- Do not eat or use FDA inspected food and medicines.
- Do not bring your kids to public playgrounds.
- Do not walk or run on sidewalks.
- Do not use public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
- Do not seek shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
- Do not apply for educational or job training assistance when you lose your job.
- Do not apply for food stamps when you can’t feed your children.
- Do not use the judiciary system for any reason.
- Do not ask for an attorney when you are arrested and do not ask for one to be assigned to you by the court.
- Do not apply for any Pell Grants.
- Do not use cures that were discovered by labs using federal dollars.
- Do not fly on federally regulated airplanes.
- Do not use any product that can trace its development back to NASA.
- Do not watch the weather provided by the National Weather Service.
- Do not listen to severe weather warnings from the National Weather Service.
- Do not listen to tsunami, hurricane, or earthquake alert systems.
- Do not apply for federal housing.
- Do not use the internet, which was developed by the military.
- Do not swim in clean rivers.
- Do not allow your child to eat school lunches or breakfasts.
- Do not ask for FEMA assistance when everything you own gets wiped out by disaster.
- Do not ask the military to defend your life and home in the event of a foreign invasion.
- Do not use your cell phone or home telephone.
- Do not buy firearms that wouldn’t have been developed without the support of the US Government and military. That includes most of them.
- Do not eat USDA inspected produce and meat.
- Do not apply for government grants to start your own business.
- Do not apply to win a government contract.
- Do not buy any vehicle that has been inspected by government safety agencies.
- Do not buy any product that is protected from poisons, toxins, etc…by the Consumer Protection Agency.
- Do not save your money in a bank that is FDIC insured.
- Do not use Veterans benefits or military health care.
- Do not use the G.I. Bill to go to college.
- Do not apply for unemployment benefits.
- Do not use any electricity from companies regulated by the Department of Energy.
- Do not live in homes that are built to code.
- Do not run for public office. Politicians are paid with taxpayer dollars.
- Do not ask for help from the FBI, S.W.A.T, the bomb squad, Homeland Security, State troopers, etc…
- Do not apply for any government job whatsoever as all state and federal employees are paid with tax dollars.
- Do not use public libraries.
- Do not use the US Postal Service.
- Do not visit the National Archives.
- Do not visit Presidential Libraries.
- Do not use airports that are secured by the federal government.
- Do not apply for loans from any bank that is FDIC insured.
- Do not ask the government to help you clean up after a tornado.
- Do not ask the Department of Agriculture to provide a subsidy to help you run your farm.
- Do not take walks in National Forests.
- Do not ask for taxpayer dollars for your oil company.
- Do not ask the federal government to bail your company out during recessions.
- Do not seek medical care from places that use federal dollars.
- Do not use Medicaid.
- Do not use WIC.
- Do not use electricity generated by Hoover Dam.
- Do not use electricity or any service provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
- Do not ask the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild levees when they break.
- Do not let the Coast Guard save you from drowning when your boat capsizes at sea.
- Do not ask the government to help evacuate you when all hell breaks loose in the country you are in.
- Do not visit historic landmarks.
- Do not visit fisheries.
- Do not expect to see animals that are federally protected because of the Endangered Species List.
- Do not expect plows to clear roads of snow and ice so your kids can go to school and so you can get to work.
- Do not hunt or camp on federal land.
- Do not work anywhere that has a safe workplace because of government regulations.
- Do not use public transportation.
- Do not drink water from public water fountains.
- Do not whine when someone copies your work and sells it as their own. Government enforces copyright laws.
- Do not expect to own your home, car, or boat. Government organizes and keeps all titles.
- Do not expect convicted felons to remain off the streets.
- Do not eat in restaurants that are regulated by food quality and safety standards.
- Do not seek help from the US Embassy if you need assistance in a foreign nation.
- Do not apply for a passport to travel outside of the United States.
- Do not apply for a patent when you invent something.
- Do not adopt a child through your local, state, or federal governments. 89.Do not use elevators that have been inspected by federal or state safety regulators.
- Do not use any resource that was discovered by the USGS.
- Do not ask for energy assistance from the government.
- Do not move to any other developed nation, because the taxes are much higher.
- Do not go to a beach that is kept clean by the state.
- Do not use money printed by the US Treasury.
- Do not complain when millions more illegal immigrants cross the border because there are no more border patrol agents.
- Do not attend a state university.
- Do not see any doctor that is licensed through the state.
- Do not use any water from municipal water systems.
- Do not complain when diseases and viruses, that were once fought around the globe by the US government and CDC, reach your house.
- Do not work for any company that is required to pay its workers a livable wage, provide them sick days, vacation days, and benefits.
- Do not expect to be able to vote on election days. Government provides voting booths, election day officials, and voting machines which are paid for with taxes.
- Do not ride trains. The railroad was built with government financial assistance.
