i still gotta call ya... and I will.
anyway, the only prob with less big governement is that this libertarian slant supposes that all people can eventually learn to take care of themselves cooperatively and responsibly.

This will never happen. Ideally, it could be nice, but I doubt it.

As well, it does not answer how the mentally challenged or sick should help themselves.

On the other side, I actually think taxes can be done right and do not mind paying them when I know they are going to be used for services that benefit the entire community. This is also rare but can and does happen. In much of Europe, where they are often too high, there are services that we just dont have. Example: I could and would take a series of very clean, well run, friendly and convenient busses and trains all over Holland and feel perfectly safe and normal when doing this, whereas here in Boston, it is hell on wheels to consider taking "public transit" over driving in one's car on the very conjested highways. I actually have a choice in my town and yet the schedules stink and so i choose to spend money on gas instead of taking the train, because the service is awful! Besides, my job allows for driving to off site interviews and meetings where trains do not go or the times are no good. Again, in Europe, I could have pulled it off--or better yet, had the taxes been used the way they could have should have over here, I would get to use bike paths and ride to places that over in Holland would also give me an easy form of convenient excercise! Instead, I get in my cah, eat tons of junk food and get there late anyway, fat and ready to take up more of the big piece of pie and do it all over again tomorrow.

taxes may be high in Holland but they have a better command, I think, over things like public transit, health insurance and community benefits and services. We have a dimishing amount of these over here and yet the president has asked us all to use less fuel???

Ok, let's start with sending less planes and tanks over to places like Iraq...

or better yet, how's about getting past the whole oil standard and going onto something new and better. Our technology allows for it but stupidity gets in the way.


now THAT will start some debates!
All I can say is that my use of travel and miles is treated as if it will be ended any day now by the same sort of people who slash services and conveniences that taxes often pay for. I use my miles with a vengance because I know that the day will come when I can no longer do this. I am merely waiting for it but will have at least reaped what I could in the meantime.

Sounds mean, and possibly counter to anything I have proposed elsewhere, but hey, if you know your gig is gonna die, you get what you can.

MM