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From: lkk@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Taxes: the cost of Civilization & Democracy: Reply to JoSH
Message-ID: <792@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Jun-85 13:20:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.792
Posted: Wed Jun 19 13:20:35 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Jun-85 01:51:03 EDT
References: <642@whuxl.UUCP> <672@abnji.UUCP> <227@kontron.UUCP> <747@teddy.UUCP> <250@kontron.UUCP>
Reply-To: lkk@teddy.UUCP (Larry K. Kolodney)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 41
Summary: 

In article <250@kontron.UUCP> cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) writes:
>> In article <227@kontron.UUCP> cramer@kontron.UUCP writes:
>> >
>> >When I ran for Santa Monica City Council (*very* unsuccessfully) several
>> >years ago, I did a little digging through the city budget.  I found that
>> >less than 50% of the city's residents used the library, according to the
>> >library's own figures.  (No, I don't mean they had library cards, I mean
>> >*used* the library.)  Yet everyone in the city, and everyone who shopped
>> >in Santa Monica, was paying taxes to support it.  Why should everyone be
>> >forced to pay for a non-essential (though pleasant) service that only
>> >a minority use?
>> 
>> The people who actually go to the library and take out the books are
>> not the only ones to benefit from its existence.  A well educated populace
>> benefits all by making for a richer civilization.  
>> 	
>> Same is true for parks.  Having these available provides a vital
>> outlet for urban dwellers in our society.  Even if you don't use
>> any parks, your neighbors probably do, thus making for happier neighbors,
>> and a nicer society in general.
>> 
>> -- 
>> larry kolodney
>> 
>What a fascinating concept!  Why doesn't the government provide prostitutes
>free of charge?  Fast cars for everyone at taxpayer expense?  All 
>restaurants, free?  It sure would make everyone a lot happier, wouldn't
>it?  In fact, the cost of any good or service should be borne by the
>person who most directly benefits from it, lest we bankrupt our government
>trying to satisfy every want.  Without paying a price, people use and
>abuse all of the facilities that are offered, without limit.


I guest that's why libararies and parks are such a tremendous
drain on our society.
-- 

Sport Death,
Larry Kolodney
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