2016-19-2016 – Now that tax day is past, I have to ask you: wasn’t that the worst? What could be worse than paying taxes?

Other than your mortgage. Or your student loan. Or the deductibles on your insurance. Or the rent.

If it weren’t for paying all these things, you’d have a lot of money. Am I right? (Unless you are rich and still have a lot of money after all the bills are paid.)

So why is complaining about taxes such an applause line and complaining about your student loan is just boring?

In colonial days, I can understand it. British taxes were imposed by a bunch of rich guys and we didn’t get to vote for them. Taxation without representation. But now, we do get to vote.

I also understand the thing about waste and graft. I don’t want to be paying for waste and graft. But government is far from the only place where money goes to the fat cats. Think about CEO salaries. Paid out of the interest on your mortgage or your student loans. Or the deductibles on your insurance. Or the rent.

So why is it that we single out taxes as the only thing that we hate paying as a matter of principle. And why do we whine when people get “free stuff” from the government.

Haven’t you made the connection between these two things? You have?

Oh, it’s the idea that someone other than yourself is getting “free stuff.” The stuff you get—roads and fire protection and military protection and police protection and on and on. That’s stuff that you want to keep getting without paying taxes. But you don’t want to pay taxes.