Here we are, once again facing next year’s presidential election. Yup, months to go and the rhetoric is firing up, especially now among the 17 Republican candidates. Once that dust settles, it will be the Democrats’ turn.
How amazing it would be to have a positive campaign, free of mud-slinging, finger-pointing and so forth. Tell me – please – what you plan to accomplish, not what a slime bag your opponent is.
So, as the candidates talk their talk, taxes are often the focus. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are inevitable. I laugh when friends out west complain because, in one state, they have to pay income tax. In another state, their torture is sales tax. Neither pays both.
They quickly quit grousing when I point out we not only have both, we have them at multiple levels (along with numerous others). Despite Ohio’s plethora of taxes, I absolutely never complain about paying them. Why? Because I enjoy the many benefits of modern society which they provide.
That being said, there are those among us who hate paying taxes of any kind and would rather see the IRS shut down for good, thus eliminating public funding for all the things that we take for granted every day. While not a true liberal, I take a more liberal view when it comes to taxes.
So, if you’re a conservative who hates taxes and government, please kindly stop doing the following (fair warning, the list, which I did NOT create, is so long I am breaking it into two parts!):
1. Do not use Medicare.
2. Do not use Social Security
3. Do not become a member of the U.S. military, who are paid with tax dollars, if you hate taxes.
4. Do not ask the National Guard to help you after a disaster.
5. Do not call 911 when you get hurt.
6. Do not call the police to stop intruders in your home.
7. Do not summon the fire department to save your burning home.
8. Do not drive on any paved road, highway, interstate or bridge.
9. Do not use public restrooms.
10. Do not send your kids to public schools.
11. Do not put your trash out for city garbage collectors.
12. Do not live in areas with clean air.
13. Do not drink clean water.
14. Do not visit National Parks.
15. Do not visit public museums, zoos, and monuments.
16. Do not eat or use FDA inspected food and medicines.
17. Do not bring your kids to public playgrounds.
18. Do not walk or run on sidewalks, if you hate taxes, which paid for them.
19. Do not use public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
20. Do not seek shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
21. Do not apply for educational or job training assistance when you lose your job.
22. Do not apply for food stamps when you can’t feed your children.
23. Do not use the judiciary system for any reason.
24. Do not ask for an attorney when you are arrested and do not ask for one to be assigned to you by the court.
25. Do not apply for any Pell Grants.
26. Do not use cures that were discovered by labs using federal dollars.
27. Do not fly on federally regulated airplanes.
28. Do not use any product that can trace its development back to NASA.
29. Do not watch the weather provided by the National Weather Service.
30. Do not listen to severe weather warnings from the National Weather Service.
31. Do not listen to tsunami, hurricane, or earthquake alert systems.
32. Do not apply for federal housing.
33. Do not use the internet, which was developed by the military.
34. Do not swim in clean rivers.
35. Do not allow your child to eat school lunches or breakfasts.
36. Do not ask for FEMA assistance when everything you own gets wiped out by disaster.
37. Do not ask the military to defend your life and home in the event of a foreign invasion.
38. Do not use your cell phone or home telephone.
39. Do not buy firearms that wouldn’t have been developed without the support of the U.S. Government and military. That includes most of them.
40. Do not eat USDA inspected produce and meat.
41. Do not apply for government grants to start your own business.
42. Do not apply to win a government contract.
43. Do not buy any vehicle that has been inspected by government safety agencies.
44. Do not buy any product that is protected from poisons, toxins, etc…by the Consumer Protection Agency.
45. Do not save your money in a bank that is FDIC insured.
46. Do not use Veterans benefits or military health care.
47. Do not use the G.I. Bill to go to college.
48. Do not apply for unemployment benefits.
49. Do not use any electricity from companies regulated by the Department of Energy.
50. Do not live in homes that are built to code.
Whew. Chew on these for a week; the rest is yet to come.
(To be continued)
Sally Boyd may be reached at gazettesal@gmail.com.
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