Robin Hoods With No Rich To Rob
By Bob Parks (12/22/07)
Whether it is the budget crisis in California or the "revenue" mess in Massachusetts, cities and towns in many states are nickel and diming to keep the budgets in tact because they're running out of businesses and people to soak.
Last time out, I ran for state representative in my neck of Massachusetts. I didn't run on the stereotypical Republican positions of family values, low taxes, or smaller government. Running on smaller government in Massachusetts? Yeah, right. I'm not stupid.
No, I ran on economic development.
As Massachusetts is still second only to New York when it comes to businesses and people leaving, I came up with a plan to make our area commerce friendly. I came up with a plan to seek private monies to build badly needed public schools. I came up with a plan to employ the kids our taxpayer dollars educate in our district after they graduate college, so they can contribute back into our economy.
But alas, I wasn't running against an entrenched, do nothing incumbent. I ran against George W. Bush. It appeared that people thought it better to send an anti-war message to the president than worry if they'd have food on their tables after the election. Needless to say, I never really got out of the box.
Aside from losing a major business in our area to a southern state with lower taxes and regulations, many towns are facing the same financial dilemma: how to fund the many things cities and towns have to pay for. What's the solution? Here in The Bay State there's only one solution Democrats know best: find new people to soak.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has decided to attract casinos, not to bring jobs to the people. Casinos are being brought here to raise "revenue." And knowing liberal legislatures as we do, once they raise the revenues, will they balance the budgets and control spending? Probably not.
They'll continue to find more things to spend money on, and let's close with some review.
Government doesn't create anything; people do. Government takes our money before it even makes it into our bank accounts. Although we can't spend more than we have in those accounts, government can and does because instead of paying overdrafts, they just take more from us because they can. And if we can't afford more, they'll import suckers to soak.
Unless we change our attitudes and demand economic independence, nothing will change, things can and will get worse, because independence is a taboo concept with many of our liberal legislators. This is true in Massachusetts, California, and points in between. And judging from the makeup of many state legislatures, the "worst" is yet to come.
Merry Christmas and we'll be back on December 27.
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