Monday, November 12, 2007
A Thank You Note?
When I was young, I would oftentimes receive money and other gifts from grandparents, usually around brithdays or some achievement like a good report card. My parents would me make sit down and write a thank you note to the benefactor. Then when I got married, thank you notes started again. I think it's appropriate to properly thank people when they give gifts.
Now I am in a position of giving more than I receive. Unfortunately, my son is not the biggest beneficiary. That honor goes to the federal government. I sit in a high bracket for federal income. My payroll check is deducted for Social Security, Income, and Medicare taxes. I pay state income tax as well. Every time I purchase something, I pay sales tax to the state (and a small part to the county). Twice a year I pay real estate tax for the honor of living in this county. Because I live in VA, I pay personal property tax on my car. At the end of the year, taxes turn out to be my biggest expense. And never once have I received a thank you note from the local, state or federal government.
I think the reason is, that in the modern era, most politicians have the mindset that the government is entitled to whatever people have. They think they can take whatever they want from people. We should be grateful that they allow us to keep so much of our money. This all stems from the notion of Big Government. But government should be "bare bones". The government should be grateful everytime a taxpayer pays his or her taxes.
Now I am in a position of giving more than I receive. Unfortunately, my son is not the biggest beneficiary. That honor goes to the federal government. I sit in a high bracket for federal income. My payroll check is deducted for Social Security, Income, and Medicare taxes. I pay state income tax as well. Every time I purchase something, I pay sales tax to the state (and a small part to the county). Twice a year I pay real estate tax for the honor of living in this county. Because I live in VA, I pay personal property tax on my car. At the end of the year, taxes turn out to be my biggest expense. And never once have I received a thank you note from the local, state or federal government.
I think the reason is, that in the modern era, most politicians have the mindset that the government is entitled to whatever people have. They think they can take whatever they want from people. We should be grateful that they allow us to keep so much of our money. This all stems from the notion of Big Government. But government should be "bare bones". The government should be grateful everytime a taxpayer pays his or her taxes.
The Post Office
A few years ago, the Post Office ran a TV campaign (and has for the last few year run by mail campaigns) where they advertised their express mail services. To sell these wares, they borrowed "Fly Like an Eagle" by the Steve Miller Band.
I was completely appalled. The only rationale for advertising here is for the government to increase its market share in the express mail market, in effect competing with the private sector. Not only this, but they were using taxpayer money to advertise (not just production costs and air time, but royalties to Steve Miller). Why would they do this?
As a proponent of free markets, I was appalled (I know I already said that). By the simple fact they are advertising means they are competing. Can anyone say UPS? FedEx? DHL? The government should not be in competition with the private sector! The government exists to fill the gaps in a free market economy. There are consumer needs in our economy that either cannot be supplied by private companies or we would not private companies to supply (law making, criminal justice, defense, etc). But if there are willing suppliers adequately fulfilling consumer needs, the government should not be involved.
So in the case of express mail, with companies like UPS and FedEx providing these services, the government should get out of the business. Instead we have them competing with these companies! And not only that, we have using taxpayer money to take market share away from them. I won't even go into how more effective and efficient private companies are in meeting consumer needs than the government. The Post Office is subsidized from the General Fund, meaning the loss is pushed off to taxpayers as well. So if the Post Office increases its market share, it costs more to taxpayers, and we lose the tax revenue from these companies' profits. BRILLIANT!
We are left with a army of homogenous-looking letter carriers attempting to squash any competition. A more appropriate advertising tune would be the Imperial March from Star Wars.
I was completely appalled. The only rationale for advertising here is for the government to increase its market share in the express mail market, in effect competing with the private sector. Not only this, but they were using taxpayer money to advertise (not just production costs and air time, but royalties to Steve Miller). Why would they do this?
As a proponent of free markets, I was appalled (I know I already said that). By the simple fact they are advertising means they are competing. Can anyone say UPS? FedEx? DHL? The government should not be in competition with the private sector! The government exists to fill the gaps in a free market economy. There are consumer needs in our economy that either cannot be supplied by private companies or we would not private companies to supply (law making, criminal justice, defense, etc). But if there are willing suppliers adequately fulfilling consumer needs, the government should not be involved.
So in the case of express mail, with companies like UPS and FedEx providing these services, the government should get out of the business. Instead we have them competing with these companies! And not only that, we have using taxpayer money to take market share away from them. I won't even go into how more effective and efficient private companies are in meeting consumer needs than the government. The Post Office is subsidized from the General Fund, meaning the loss is pushed off to taxpayers as well. So if the Post Office increases its market share, it costs more to taxpayers, and we lose the tax revenue from these companies' profits. BRILLIANT!
We are left with a army of homogenous-looking letter carriers attempting to squash any competition. A more appropriate advertising tune would be the Imperial March from Star Wars.
