Ok, here's a hypothetical scenario:
Let's suppose you belong to a large social club. Here are the ANNUAL dues for the club:
- $8566 per household member for the national club (or, $34,000/family of four)
- $5104 per household member for the state chapter (or, $20,000/family of four)
- $800 per household member for the city chapter ($3200)
This country club, in other words, imposes annual dues of over $57,000 for a family of four.
Now, suppose the membership isn't optional. In order to LIVE in your community, you MUST pay the dues.
Well, guess what? You DO. These figures are for my community in the state of Texas. While most pay far less, these are the average per capita expenditure costs of the respective budgets. Excuses for these extravagances vary, but solutions almost invariably amount to raising taxes in some sector or another.
Now, I will be the first to admit, I don't pay NEARLY that much in taxes. And my family is larger than four. But I don't feel any better knowing that corporations are roped into paying "my share", thus resulting in increased costs for my family and myself for goods and services that are provided by these corporations. Put simply, we're getting VERY poor value for the dollar.
And it's high time that changed.