While no one likes to pay taxes and most of us would prefer not to have to pay any taxes at all, taxes are needed to provide governmental services we all use and need.
We may argue over what services are needed and in deed we do. But to swear not to raise taxes no matter what strikes me as the act of a child who argues with a parent in the store.
In the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, instituted by Grover Norquist, candidates and incumbents solemnly bind themselves to oppose any and all tax increases. To solemnly pledge to anything other than the Constitution of the United States is childish at best and is dangerous to the continued existence of the United States at worst.
Norquist has been quoted as saying, "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." Since I doubt he is talking about Canada, I must presume he would like to drown and kill off the United States.
Here is a man who comes from wealth, was Harvard educated for whatever that is worth, who has never been elected to anything, serves on numerous boards but has never had a real job, and who has become the Pied Piper of the extreme right wing of the Republican Part. Not elected to anything, he demands complete obedience to his no new taxes dogma.
Now the future of the United States is at risk. The budget does need to be controlled, expenses must be curtailed and most importantly, we must not default on our debt. To avoid default (defaulting on the full faith and credit of the United States) taxes may need to be raised. To refuse to raise taxes no matter what may in fact be crossing the line between patriot and traitor.
Reason needs to prevail over blind obedience to dogma and ideology.
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