Political Wisdom From Chris Rock

It’s not often we cite Chris Rock on these pages, but this one bit of wisdom is worth sharing.

"You don’t pay taxes – they take taxes."

There’s a good reason Republicans stand up to defend the protections that are in place raising the threshold to hike taxes – two thirds supermajority, etc.

In the marketplace, competitive forces keep a lid on price increases. If Ford raises prices on a Focus, consumers in a free market can buy a Volkswagen instead. Government doesn’t face this kind of competition - it's a monopoly. And just as monopolies in the private sector (like utilities) face special restrictions, so should government. Taxes are the price we pay for government services, and they are not voluntary, but mandatory. As a result, a higher threshold is warranted before one group decides to vote to impose additional burdens on another, backed up by the power of the state.