Taxes Are Not the Enemy

In my studio cleanse, I've found my tax packet. It always comes during the Christmas rush. I dump it in my studio and then find it in January. The first couple of years I missed the Feb. deadline and had to pay my full 6% sales tax. I called the government panicked that I would owe hundreds in fines. The lady about laughed when I told her I owed $6.54. She said they can't open them all until June anyway.

Now, I'm a bit weird about taxes because I feel really proud when I write my check to the government. I'm glad to know I'm doing my part to help support this society I live in. I want my schools and roads and services in my city, county, state, and country to be good. I don't agree with everything the various governing bodies choose to do, but I think 80% of what they do is good. I also think that most of our government are doing the best they can with the resources they have. Andy, my husband, used to cover city government meetings for newspapers and there are a lot of talented people doing good work there. Even the jerks are rarely incompetent, and they usually have amazing secretaries. I also know lots of people who work for the city and county. Again, really good people doing really good jobs. And holding back or even complaining about the money we spend just makes us cranky and suspicious. There seems to be some sense that every aspect of government is wasting money hand over fist, but this is just not true. And if you're jealous about the perks government employees receive, perhaps you should work on getting benefits and equitable treatment for everyone, instead of taking away what you do not have. The more we think the government is the enemy, the more it will live into that role. The more we invest in the government with our time, money, and good intentions, the more we'll reap.

And when I say us, I mean all of us. When will we learn that supporting those less fortunate than us, supports our whole social system? If we educate instead of imprison, spend extra money to keep everyone healthy, have compassion instead of judgment, we increase who we are as a nation. I am a bleeding heart liberal patriot. I love this country and show that love by voting, willingly paying my taxes, and doing my best to speak respectfully about people who work for the government. I keep hoping for a sense of civility in our country. Perhaps if those who are making decisions didn't have to protect themselves from the citizens they're supposed to represent, they could make some better decisions. And yes I know about special interests, lobbies, corporations, and so on. That quickly gets overwhelming and sad, but I just take a deep breath, write my check, do my part, and hope for the best. Try it.