Taxes

Taxes pay for roads, sewers, schools, hospitals, etc.. Government is required to administer tax funds. I know this sounds simplistic, but I hear less than simplistic protests against government and taxes every day in the media. If you walk around your closest city, as I do daily, you will see rusted bridges, potholes, cracked sidewalks, weedy parks. If you ride a mass transit system, as I do several times a week, you will see vandalized cars, torn seats and filthy floors. I am sure the interior of many public schools are plagued with similar issues.

Life in a civilized society requires citizen participation. Too few citizens vote. Even fewer actually contribute time to their local city or town government. Crimes are observed and unreported daily. People treat the public space like a trash can. I speculate that many of the people who scream against taxation of any kind exhibit the least responsible behavior in the public sphere.

President Obama is being targeted by Republicans and some Democrats, newly won over to the Right, for trying to return some fairness to the tax system. Imagine. A President of the United States is standing up for a vast majority of Americans who are not wealthy by requiring those who hold an inordinate amount of the wealth to pay their fair share of taxes. The media, largely in the hands of corporate control, pretend to present the situation as a matter of opinion and debate.

Lack of government funds to maintain infrastructure is not debatable. It is disaster in the making. Poor schools propagate crime, proverty and violence. Poor roads endanger lives and inhibit commerce. Low city treasuries threaten public safety by gutting police and fire department budgets.

It will never be a "good time" for the wealthy to pay more taxes. People don't get wealthy by giving their money away. Wealthy people give money away to avoid paying taxes.

I wait to hear the voices of the wealthy who claim to be in favor of a civilized and humane society here in the U.S.. I do not hear them yet. I do not hear Bill Gates stomping the country with speeches in support to increased taxes for the wealthy. I do not hear Mayor Bloomberg shouting for increased taxes on Wall Street executives. I do not hear the voices of all those corporate donors who supported President Obama's election.

I'm listening, but I have little confidence that those who have will come forward for those who have not.