Letter: Taxes allow civilization to flourish

Most Republican senators and representatives and some Democrats have signed a pledge to Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform that they will never vote for any measure that comes before them that increases taxes. I would argue that agreeing to such a pledge is the act of a fool.

We pay taxes to live in a civilized community, and the cost burdens of that community are bound to increase from time to time as circumstances dictate.

Money sent to the tax collector is not the only form of taxation. Often it comes in the form of not having sufficient means to obtain necessities.

Sometimes it comes in the diminished opportunities as exemplified by a child who is inadequately schooled because of insufficient funding of schools.

Sometimes it comes in the form of inflation, which in the case of current gasoline costs, sends the profits not to the government where it might help reduce the deficit, but into the hands of wealthy companies.

The pledge is just a means to transfer the burden from the wealthy to the poor.

I will ask any of them asking for my vote if they ascribe to such nonsense, and if the answer is “yes,” they will not be getting my vote.

James S. Roberts

Vancouver