Common Sense on Taxes and a Struggling Economy

In this portion of our world, the county transit agency has scheduled a vote of the people to raise the sales tax devoted to transit by 50%. Outside of the arguments that the transit system is mismanaged, grossly inefficient and controlled by government employee unions, the management Board of the agency  thinks it is a great idea to raise taxes.  In an economy with unemployment around 9.5%, the business climate extremely sluggish, recently announced shutdowns of local stores and restaurants, layoffs still coming in many industries, etc., common sense would recommend lowering or eliminating taxes, not raising them.  Taking more tax money from the taxpayers on nearly every transaction they make only reduces their disposable income (that has already been hit and reduced for so many other reasons) and takes money from the productive parts of the economy and redistributes the money to non or lesser productive parts. Common sense says take the time of reduced ridership and reshape the transit system into something that doesn't just serve the unions and bureaucrats but more effectively serves the people who have to or choose to use an inefficient system that is gobbling ever-increasing chunks of taxpayer cash.

Our society needs an effective and fiscally efficient means of transporting people. However, common sense should rule and human nature says the people enjoy the freedom of using their own vehicles to take them where they want to go when they want to go there. Common sense also says that not everybody can afford to have their own car. Common sense again says that hauling 0-5 people around in a 25,000#+ bus is not the best way to do the job. Out here on the Left Coast the idealistic lawmakers have too long been trying to make the environment for having the freedom to use our vehicles as painful as possible.  They have done this to try to force us to give up the freedom and security of our cars and force us onto transit.  Common sense and experience tells us that Americans don't take giving up their freedom lightly. Don't let them take it .3% at a time...

ComSens

Common Sense from ComSens

Too often these days common sense is either absent or disregarded by those "we" have chosen to govern or lead us. This blog will try to point out where those who set policies that affect us have strayed from the tenets of common sense and headed in directions that go against human nature, learned knowledge and tested experience.  While it will not exclusively rely on the revered writings of our Founding Fathers, the founding documents of the United States of America are perhaps the greatest compilation of common sense ever to be put to parchment or paper. It will also come from the teachings of my grandparents, my parents, my family, and many teachers from my public school education in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. 


While I live in the Pacific Northwest, my life has been molded by growing up in the Midwest, as a military dependent, in North Africa, the Southwest and returning to the Midwest for high school and my undergraduate degree. I was also molded by a wonderful military career that literally took me around the world. I have lived in the "first world" the "second world" and the "third world". I have seen places that have astounded me...both in the best possible context and the worst. 


That is a bit about what made me what I have become so you will understand "where I am coming from." I know I am not always right, but one thing I have learned: If you approach a challenge on a common sense basis, consider true human nature and make your decisions on that information, you will much more often be right than wrong.


I hope you will enjoy reading...or at least it will stimulate your thoughts.  Come back often!


ComSens