Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit Discussion

My wife and I just got done wrangling through my family’s tax forms, and I have to say that, on the whole, I feel better for having done it – although I put it off for three months. I hate doing the paperwork, but I really enjoy the feeling of actually paying the taxes. That’s saying a lot for me, because, as a self-employed person, I haven’t gotten a return for years. I usually have to write a pretty big check.

I don’t like where all of that tax money goes to. I don’t like that a lot of my money goes war, or to right wing churches that the Bush White House gives big grants to so that they can tell drug addicts that all they need to do to get better is to accept Jesus as lord and savior.

But, the democratic process is about me at least getting a shot at affecting where my tax money goes to. Think paying taxes is rough in America? Please consider how it would feel paying taxes in a dictatorship, where the government wouldn’t tell you a thing about how it was spent, and wouldn’t give you any input into how it should be spent.

I like the idea of all us citizens coming together and chipping in what we can in order to keep our communities, our regions, and our nation in good running order. Right now, much of America is not in good running order, but we do have the opportunity to make run well – if we care enough to heed the call of the duties citizenship.

If you think that America’s going to work well just if you go to work, pay your taxes, and mind your own business, you’re missing the point. Taxes are only half the dues we citizens must pay in order for our democracy to function. The most important contributions we have to give to America come from our hearts and minds.

Don’t be a chump. Make paying your taxes worth it. You wouldn’t buy a television set and then never bother to turn it on, would you? Neither should you pay taxes and then pay no attention to what your government is really using that tax money for. Make damn sure you’re getting your money’s worth of democracy, liberty, learning and community – and if you don’t think the government’s holding up its part of the bargain in some way, then do something about it.

A democracy is one immense customer service desk, but you’ve got to step up in order to get your due.