Government Adds Fees Because Taxes Are Not Enough

Government is a scurvy little spider that eats at the fabric of society. Originally designed to be ruled by those governed, government has turned into a monster that has an ever increasing appetite for money and devises more creative ways in which to get it. All the ways they come up with screw those governed.

Those of us who pay taxes figure they go for essential services such as Fire and Police services. Well, our taxes pay for that protection and it includes protecting those who pay NO taxes. Now some places are charging fees when emergency personnel must respond.

After her sport utility vehicle sideswiped a van in early February, Shirley Kimel was amazed at how quickly a handful of police officers and firefighters in Winter Haven, Fla., showed up. But a real shock came a week later, when a letter arrived from the city billing her $316 for the cost of responding to the accident.

“I remember thinking, ‘What the heck is this?’ ” says Ms. Kimel, 67, an office manager at a furniture store. “I always thought this sort of thing was covered by my taxes.”

It used to be. But last July, Winter Haven became one of a few dozen cities in the country to start charging “accident response fees.” The idea is to shift the expense of tending to and cleaning up crashes directly to at-fault drivers. Either they, or their insurers, are expected to pay. NYT (via MSNBC)

Why should people pay this fee? Their taxes cover emergency response. If a person cannot afford this or if insurance pays it, will the increase in insurance rates cause a problem? I have heard that some fire stations in Baltimore are closing or consolidating because of budget problems. I always hear the outcry and demand for more taxes. Screw them, I have no sympathy for communities where fire stations close. I don’t care if cops have to start walking instead of riding and if people die because there are no paramedic services then it is not my problem. I don’t want to pay any more.

The article cites other sources of revenue like adding a surcharge to electric bills to pay for streetlights. Does this mean that people can demand they be turned off and not have to pay? What about people who live in areas where there are no streetlights? Will they be forced to pay so someone else has light outside his home?

There are fees tacked on to hunting licenses, professional licenses, number of livestock slaughtered, vehicle registration, driver’s license renewal, and any number of other things that some creative bureaucrat can come up with in order to make people pay more money.

We continue to get socked with fees and tax increases because government is inefficient and cannot control spending. And yes, there are tax increases. They hail $13 dollars more in paychecks and say it is a tax cut ignoring the fact that getting it back does not mean your taxes are lower. What will taxes look like when we file them and how will the tax tables be configured? They charge one fee after another in order to raise revenue while claiming to lower taxes on the poor.

It is the poor who pay the increase in cigarette taxes and those who mindlessly claim that smoking is a choice ignore two important things. One is that while it is a choice it is an addictive habit stronger than addiction to heroin and the success rate for people quitting is very low. Also, the taxes are to pay for children’s health care. If people quit then that money would have to come from some place else and that would be an increase in taxes. Government depends on the low success rate of tobacco cessation in order to make money.

The poor are hurt by the increase in insurance rates because of accident response fees. The poor are affected most by increases in licensing fees and other harassing fees imposed by government.

The bad part is the people affected most by these things are the ones who keep putting tax hungry Democrats in office. There are people in Baltimore who have had their electricity turned off for failure to pay the bill (bills that are higher because of government intervention in the market). Most cry that it is their right to have electricity and demand the bills be forgiven so they can have heat and light. There is a fund for these kinds of people and many of us use to donate to it to help people out.

No more. I don’t care if their electricity is turned off. I don’t care if they are cold or it is dark. I don’t care if they have no way to heat their food because they are getting what they asked for. They can sit in the dark and freeze to death while eating cold cat food. I do not care.

This is the kind of pain that they need to either wake up or die off and in either case it will be better for society as a whole.

I am tired of paying for the education of someone else’s kid. I am tired of paying for the health care of others. I am tired of being forced to support people in society who are not supporting themselves and I am tired of paying more in fees so that more services can be offered.

To hell with them.

I have stopped giving to some charities because of what and who they support. I have stopped doing things that will cost me any fees if I can avoid it and I have no intention of “helping” out as the many letters I get ask of me.

40% of wage earners pay no taxes and a ton of people do not work and receive benefits of those who do pay taxes. The upper bands of wage earners pay way too much in taxes and support most of the rest. It is a crime to make the to 20% pay for nearly everyone else.

People need to start paying their fair share and government needs to stop with all the fees. One day the working class will stand up and say enough is enough.

April 15th is tax day and the day of TEA parties. They are scorned by the liberal establishment of Kool Aid drinkers who see only benefits in anti war protests.

I have another idea for April 15th. Every person should avoid spending money in any store. Do not buy food, gas, or any other item. Get it all the day before. Let the country see what it would be like if we all stopped participating for just one day.

The only fee I want to pay is a green’s fee.

Is that too much to ask?

Big Dog

[tip]If you enjoy what you read consider signing up to receive email notification of new posts. There are several options in the sidebar and I am sure you can find one that suits you. If you prefer, consider adding this site to your favorite feed reader. If you receive emails and wish to stop them follow the instructions included in the email.[/tip]