April 25, 2008

Here is all you need to know about how governments think. In Fairfax County, Virginia (a Washington suburb), real estate values are declining after going up for several years. Because of this and the generally sluggish economy, property tax revenue to the county is falling. So what does county government do? Why it wants to raise property taxes so it won’t have to cut services, or money for government schools.

When you and I are strapped for cash, we cut our spending. When government faces a slight revenue decline, it raises taxes. Got it?

When times are good, governments at all levels create new programs in hopes of addicting more people to government so people will vote to keep politicians in office. Rarely are programs cut. Government behaves as if the taxpayers are bottomless cash pits. Gas prices are up, the cost of a lot of other things have increased, but government wants to spend and spend more and more.

It is – or ought to be – an outrage, but it won’t stop unless and until we wean ourselves from government and start caring for ourselves.
 

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Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.