Death and Taxes

Death and taxes are forever linked by Benjamin Franklins quote. When I typed them as the title of this blog, this editor, as well as the part of my brain I was going to use to write in it, was completely empty. I really wasn't sure where I was going with it. I was kind of thinking of raising questions about how we're taxed - the transparency and forthrightness of the process to be specific.

See, today I left the auto garage after spending about $2,000 on new catalytic converters thinking I would run my car or a few days like they recommended, get my emissions done and then take care of those expired tags. It's ten days in to the month, so they're well expired, but given the fact that the repairs were so expensive and that Davidson county's own county clerk totally butchered my registration change from Rutherford (they switched my expiration to October, resulting in my not getting renewal papers from them) I've had a bit of trouble getting this taken care of.

I didn't get more than two miles away from the shop when a policeman pulled me over. He mentioned to me that my tags were expired, to which I responded with the receipt for my repairs and the short version of the above paragraph hoping that, seeing my intention to change this, he'd just let it go. Letting me go was the right thing to do. You can go all black-and-white on me and refute this, but you know I'm right.

He did not let me go. He gave me a ticket.

I mention all of this because it seems like whenever there's a rash of people getting tickets, the response is something like "They're out raising money." And they're usually right. What government institution isn't cash strapped at all times? However, it's up to taxes raise money. Non-profits raise money. Children raise money for baseball teams. Policemen, very dissimilarly from any of these, protect and serve. The purpose of any monetary penalties they can impose shouldbe solely to deter further violations, right? If they need my money then either taxes need to be adjusted or the government is being inefficient. One of these things should change, or at least they should give me a box of Tagalongs or candy bar with the ticket like a normal fundraiser.

It's not the money that's important, it's the method by which you're taking it from people. Newsflash, officer - you're not Robin Hood. That story is fiction.

Perhaps Benjamin Franklin could have added government inefficiency to that list of certainties.