If I Responded on Facebook

I try not to respond to political posts on Facebook. Mostly I don't post on Facebook at all unless it is something that appears relatively harmless, although in 20 years I imagine people who post kitten pictures today will be apologizing for that.

At any rate, one post this morning riled me. It was about my local county and how irresponsible the spending is, yada yada. I've covered this county government for 30 years and still go to the supervisors meetings sometimes. I read.

We are not a poorly run, over-spending county. I started to write a response and then decided to move it here. But this is not just about my county. This is about living in society and being a citizen and paying taxes, and understanding that everything affects everything else. It is also about stupidity, which seems in vogue but which is going to destroy us.

Since 2009, the amount of money that Botetourt County receives from the state and federal governments has decreased. The difference comes from county citizens as local taxes: the politicians we have in the state and federal government want to place the burden back on localities.

We are building a new school. We offered incentives to new companies (corporate welfare). Because of this, the county's debt service has increased.

However, Botetourt remains one of the most fiscally sound counties in the area. You can't have it both ways. You can't have low taxes and build a new school. You can't have parks & rec programs, libraries, historic parks at Greenfield, commit $2 million to the new YMCA, and not have debt service increase.

Local taxes will remain flat this year, based on what I'm seeing. Nobody's taxes are going up locally (though you might be paying federal dollars because of that smoke-and-mirrors federal "tax cut" that so many people fell for). 

Sure there are some things that could be cut from the local budget - but they are miniscule as far as funding goes and won't affect taxes. Much of it is state-mandated and can't be touched.

More than half of the budget goes to the schools. They need what they need. I want an educated population, well-rounded and learned, to take care of me and the rest of the world when I'm old.

We are having to pay for emergency services now; that used to be volunteer only. We need to increase pay for deputies. County buildings need upkeep and updating.

Austerity only works when you want stupidity to rule the world. That's what we have now at the federal level. I don't see it working out very well.

I consider paying taxes an honor and a privilege. Why do people think they should live here for free? If you think that, then stop driving on public roads, don't use public facilities, go rent because your deed is recorded in a public courthouse, don't call for the rescue squad when you have a heart attack, don't call the fire department if your house is burning down, don't visit the Smithsonian, use a National Park, call the Social Security Office if your payment is late, or do anything else that is a government service paid for by your taxes.

It is all related. President Obama was right when he stood here in Roanoke and said no one does it on their own. You don't. You just think you do, and I think you're an idiot for thinking that.

So there.