With Valentine's Day so close, I was excited to find a big red envelope in my mail yesterday. Surprisingly, the return address was Washington, D.C.
Could this be a mistake? No. It was clearly addressed to "Taxpayer" at my home address.
Well, this must be an affectionate or at least appreciative missive from our politicians. And that is exactly what it was.
The outside of the card was a picture of the Capitol Building with a lovely red heart superimposed, then a lovely verse inside.
The verse began:
"How can I tax thee?
Let me find more ways....."
It was signed with flourishes by many beltway politicians and even our President.
Unlike the romantic young suitor an old fashioned father would query about his intentions, our government's intentions are crystal clear.
In spite of our national debt exploding, D.C. does business as usual...using the taxpayer's money or China's to buy more of those dependent and loyal voters. For example, the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 9, reports that our president wants 8 billion in his new budget as part of a 6 year, 53 billion high-speed rail plan.
Meanwhile, the newly elected governors of Ohio and Wisconsin campaigned with promises not to accept Federal money to build these high speed rails. Costs of maintaining them far outweighed the temporary job benefits and the proposed lines did not fit with travel needs in their states and would become costly white elephants.
So, the governors wanted those dollars reallocated to infrastructure for real shovel-ready-jobs to maintain the roads people actually do use. On Dec. 12, 2010, the Dept. of Transportation redirected those funds to other states' high speed rail, largely to California with its hideous fiscal mismanagement and fantasy budgeting.
Too many politicians ignore NJ's Gov. Chris Christie trailblazing a path of fiscal prudence. They ignore FL's Gov. Scott presenting a budget with billions cut from taxes and spending. Still, NY's Gov. Cuomo made himself perfectly clear by pronouncing NY as "functionally bankrupt" and the budgeting process as a "special interest protection program".
So our government persists with the gifts that keep on giving. Printing, borrowing and taxing are undeterred by the cost to present and future generations.
Appropriately, my D.C. valentine concluded with:
"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
I can reach into your assets, income, and estates..."
So, in spite of the lovely though imaginary card with the lovely imagined Valentine heart, I must believe this administration's too real actions and words. I must play the field and put past hopes and dreams for this suitor aside to seek another with a quite different proposal.
