“Leggo my Eggo”

Who’s going to steal my money, now? Let me count the ways:

1.       Town Council

2.       Town Supervisor

3.       County Legislator

4.       County Supervisor

5.       State Representative

6.       State Senator

7.       U.S. Representative

8.       U.S. Senator

Now, shut up, neither the Governor nor the President of the United States has the power to put his hand in my wallet; all the others do.

   On the local level, my town is going to be in need of money for the School District. The Feds and the State are constantly cutting back. The Town sewage treatment plant is out of date, and needs a major overhaul and expansion. This is obvious from the wonderful odors wafting through the Town. The suspension on my car is almost in need of surgery. The Town roads are constantly at the mercy of spring water, and their paths of run off. The roads are also at the mercy of the Sewage  Treatment Plant, the County Water District, the area Electric and Gas Utility, and a few of the major Communications Companies. The Town Parks are just barely hanging in there. There are too few workers, and not enough hours in the day. Town Services that are used by the Elderly, the Children, the Veterans, and the Poor cannot sustain their current levels of performance. The Town offers many more Services and Educational Programs that most likely cannot sustain at their current levels. There is also the question of Property Values. As Town sponsored programs and necessities get the axe, the Town becomes a little less attractive place to live; thus, bringing down Property Values. In a good Economy, all of this might signal a certain amount of “gentrification”. The trouble is that the “gents” don’t have the wherewithal to make that happen, anymore.   

In addition to the Town’ woes, the County shoulders many tax funded projects and programs on an even larger basis. The County also is more “tied into” The State when it comes to Welfare, Food Stamps, Unemployment Benefits, the good old DMV, Land Preservation, etc. There are some obvious areas where financial cuts simply can’t be made, but. as the Town, The County will not be able to sustain the abundance of peripheral programs and projects.

When it comes to the State and the Federal Government, just take a few minutes and think about your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly necessities and activities. You may find that things in your life you take for granted get funded through your tax payments. Look at your pay stub, if you’re lucky enough to have one, and take inventory of what exactly all those deductions end up funding. The deductions are for things you use now, or will be eligible for in the future. The way this Country operates is directly funded through your beneficence. That’s right. Its your money that makes this Country the most respected in the World. You have a stake in keeping it that way. You also have the right to vote in elections that determine who gets to spend your money. Choose wisely. “A fool and his money are quickly separated.”