No new waste: Maybe it is not the taxes, but what they do with them

It is just about a done deal — what had been a temporary sales tax hike is about to become permanent.

Well, that is at least how it seems today. You never can tell what the N.C. General Assembly is going to do next when there is still time to argue.

And upon reflection, there might be a reason that some state residents are not storming the capital in protest of more of their earnings — even though only technically — taken out of their pockets.

Maybe more of us than we know are smart enough to realize that sometimes we need to pay more taxes.

So that means that perhaps it is not the more taxes part we care about, but it is the fear of more waste that keeps our eagle eyes focused on the tax line-item in the budgets of all governments.

In fact, it is probably a bit like our own budgets. As much as we hate to have come up with the funds for a major car or home repair, sometimes we just have to bite the bullet.

But let a car repairman or a contractor try to take us for more than the prevailing rate and our claws come out. After all, we work hard for that money, and we have to make sure it goes as far as possible.

The same should be true with the money we send to Wayne County, Raleigh or Washington. We will pay those necessary bills, but only if we do not see silliness and waste like trips to the coast and other wasted frivolous expenditures. We want someone to value our contribution to spend it right.

After all, that is only fair.

Published in Editorials on July 26, 2007 11:10 AM