Down The Sewer Pipe – Politically Speaking

Some time ago, under the topic A Different Way To Fund Streets, we broached an alternative to funding streets.  Normally streets, roads, highways and such are funded by taxes.  These taxes have no limit, which, over time, become a burden to the people who use the roads, streets or highways.

In our alternative we suggested that we come up with a method of self-taxing.  This method entails a saving account and then splitting the interest three ways.   On third of the interest would be interned to build the principal, one third of the interest would be used for the road project, and one third would be returned to the people as a direct payment.

The program would look a lot like the war bond program that the United States of America Federal government used to pay for World War II.  In which the war was paid for by 1948.  However, in our case we think that the program would be an on going thing.  For example, the purpose of the program would be to maintain roadways.  Not building new ones, and the cost could be kept down by stipulating that at no time would salaries be more than 1% of the amount used in the maintenance.  This would ensure that most of the money spent would be used for material, end the idea that getting more money for a street project via raising taxes, and provide the best bang for the buck.

This ideas is not limited to roads in fact, it could be applied to off set sewer rates, cost of government, maintaining bike paths, the list could be endless.  In that this is money that people buy a stamp for at a non-fixed rate, it does not place a burden on any group or single individual.  They buy what they can afford, one dollar or one hundred million dollars.

We mention this now because, in the United States of America, there is a Pall Mall stampede to go into long-term debt, which is to be paid for by raising taxes and feed.  As an elected office holder you need to remember that just because you can afford a tax, not everyone can.  In addition it is also good to remember that extracting money by taxes and fees places a limit on the money that can be invested into your community. 

 Sherman Lackey