Jeff Davis Parish.com
Leaning to the Right Index of Articles
In a recent letter, Willie Danos, member of
the American Sugar Cane League, addressed the critics concerning the Lacassine
Sugar Mill and the use of LDAF workers for construction projects. He wrote
“therefore it is without reservation that we take this opportunity to tell the
writers, reporters, nay-sayers and the individuals who sit back and complain of
the methods used to achieve our goals to take a moment and reflect on
"What have
they done to assist this effort?”.
These comments by “Big Sugar” are typical, and illustrate why we are the
“forgotten taxpayer”. The ones, contributing to every government project, every
grant, every incentive, and every subsidy with their extensive administrative
costs. The “forgotten taxpayer” must watch as his hard earned dollars are thrown
in every conceivable direction. They are the ones told, after 30 years of paying
into a mandatory retirement system, that there won’t be any money for them when
they reach retirement age. They are taxed on every cent earned, ever cent spent
and every cent saved. They are taxed when they buy, keep or sell. The middle
income tax payer struggles while paying their share of fee’s, fine’s, penalties,
and taxes. Everybody is out for a piece of the action. The forgotten taxpayer,
through creative accounting, pays for 60% of government support that goes to the
top 1% of wealthiest farmers, while the average and small farmer struggles to
keep his equipment running. We support our farmers, they are the backbone of our
community, and the source of our food. The lion’s share of what we pay doesn’t
get into the hands of those in most need of support, because of the schemes,
bureaucracy, corruption and greed that promises to help them too, widening the
distance between our wallets and their struggles.
The forgotten taxpayer’s, shop locally first, which generates taxes that fuels
the economy and helps pay the salary of the rude and overbearing officer that
writes them a “fire zone” parking ticket for simply stopping their vehicle in
front of a store, in gear, motor running, to talk to a passerby. At the same
time, blocking a handicap spot, while he writes it. We pay our traffic fines and
court costs because we broke a traffic law, to help fuel the indigent defender
fund so that convicted child murderers on death row will have financial
resources to pay for appeals.
The forgotten taxpayer, to be heard, are told they must attend the government
meetings, but to speak you have to be put on the agenda, and you’re given a time
limit if you do. This rule created by the people we elect to speak for us in the
first place,…but they don’t, can’t or won’t! The forgotten taxpayer is told time
and again, they have no right to voice their opinion unless they vote. Yet, our
politicians routinely abstain from voting on important laws, or don’t show up to
cast it, and are never challenged on it. These are daily doses of life under the
umbrella of hypocrisy. The forgotten taxpayer is beaten, abused, worn out and
repeatedly slapped in the face with disrespect from the very people he is
helping to support. His selection of candidates are limited to a handful of
choices, with some having no loftier goals than getting their hands on a
government check, benefits, and retirement programs.
They are the local business owners who have to spend exorbitant amounts of money
to get into compliance of laws that never make much sense and differs from one
inspector to another, depending on the personal interpretations of the law by
each. The forgotten taxpayer is the one whose child dreams of dance, but their
dreams are dampened while the opening of the new dance studio is delayed because
the facility is not wheelchair accessible.
There is the business, the size of a single room, that is fined because he did
not have lighted exit signs on the same door that customers just entered
through. The law and it’s enforcement supported by our tax dollars and the costs
to business passed on to consumers who are also the taxpayers.
Trillions are poured into government coffers, and the insatiable appetite is
never filled. We live with potholes in our roads and flooding in our streets.
They look for reasons to discourage Mexican restaurants, cell phone towers and
culvert installations, instead of looking for ways to make them happen. Our
services dwindle because we are the forgotten and ignored taxpayers. Anything
new, we want, we must provide new tax dollars because all the other money has
been spent. Property taxes are passed by property tax exempt voters, or those
who do not own property. They are convinced to vote for the promises instead of
voting on behalf of property owners who will be impacted the most. Quietly,
property values are being reassessed to grab more tax dollars from the same
property owners, which generates new money. Some of our policy makers, not all,
only represent themselves and special interests groups hard bent on separating
us from our money. Like blithering idiots, we keep taxing away the future of our
children, based on empty promises. We keep buying into the worn out mantra that
it is all for the greater good, “it’s for the children”, “it’s for safety and
health” and it’s for “teacher raises”. They use old and worn out unfulfilled
promises and we fall for it every time.
We elect some officials who we expect will defend the constitution and the
rights of people, only to find later they were reciting empty words at the
swearing in ceremony. The good ones we elect end up with their hands tied by the
ones we shouldn’t have. Forgive us for being selfish but we want to keep a
little more of what we work for without the government confiscating it to waste.
The forgotten taxpayer wants less fines, fees, penalties and taxes, and less new
laws that look good on paper but end up twisted and bent by individuals who
thirst for power, control and authority all under the guise of the greater good.
We want to exercise our right to free speech and free press. We want to feel
free to challenge the things we disagree with, right or wrong, without fear of
arrest and reprisals against our children. We are only asking for a greater
share of what already belongs to us. Most of all, we want the very people who
are aided by our tax dollars to stop slapping us in the face with, “what have
you done”, comments such as those made by “Big Sugar”. Therefore, it is without
reservation that I reply...We pay for it! We may be a “forgotten taxpayer” but
the 1st amendment gives us the right to not be a silent one.
I know some will say, “If you don’t like it maybe you should run for office”.
Maybe some of us will one day, but in the meantime, those of us who consider
ourselves the “forgotten taxpayers” can’t all be the politicians riding in the
parade. Somebody has to sit on the curb and wave as they go by!