When it comes to taxes and those tea parties that were held on tax day, we first need to define "tax." My dictionary says it's a charge, by authority, for public purposes -- "authority" being the people we elect to represent us and whom we expect to follow the rules of good government and "public purposes" being the duty of elected officials to see to public security, safety, and education and to carry out the responsibilities set forth in the U.S. Constitution. These are to be upheld at the federal level, among states and on down to local governments.
The next definition is tea party. "Tea" could be an acronym for "taxed enough already," and everyone knows what "party" means. Few remember what the original Boston Tea Party was all about.
Anyone who has paid any attention to what has happened to taxes would note they have been reduced and that some tax money has been sent back to the taxpayer over the past several years at the state and federal levels.
I have not stated who is at fault.
What can we do? We can become more informed about the people we elect. Whenever we vote, we should understand the candidates' positions in relation to accomplishing duties for which they are elected. Listen to the candidates, read about them, listen to other peoples' comments and then decide if they will do the job.
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It takes taxes to pay for what needs to be done. Saving us from paying taxes is not the solution. It is the wise use of tax dollars that makes for good government.
Not paying taxes can only lead to total anarchy. We only need to look at a few countries that live under those conditions.
Leo F. Plewa
Hermantown
