Karen Kraut is the coordinator of the Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative for United for a Fair Economy. This column was distributed by MinutemanMedia.org .
As Americans get ready to pay their taxes this month, we ought to declare April 15 “Tax Pride Day.” In the face of all the greed and laying up of treasure going on all around us in our consumerist society, let’s celebrate those who want a good government that provides all citizens with opportunity and essential services. Our taxes pay for such a government. Why not celebrate the shared investment we all make?
This would be a strong counterbalance to the people who celebrate what they call Tax Freedom Day–-the day that “average” taxpayers have finished paying taxes and can now “keep” the rest of the money they make. Their point is that taxes and the government are the bad guys, something to be “free” from.
In fact, the name, Tax Freedom Day, is designed to mislead taxpayers into thinking of taxes as akin to slavery, incarceration and oppression. But Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." I’m as happy as the next person to get something for nothing, but I’m realistic enough to know this rarely, if ever, happens. If we didn’t collect taxes, society would quickly descend into chaos. It’s misleading to pretend that we can starve government and still have the society we all want.
What we would have instead is a society that serves only the interests of a few selfish people who already have what they need and who callously close the door before others can get the basics.
We’ve seen examples of the consequences of this kind of thinking with fiascos like the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, and the shamefully cheap treatment we’re giving our veterans. Most people in this country are not so well off or so greedy as to want government to do less of the things we all value, such as providing good schools for our kids, security for our families and nation, a clean environment, public safety and public health. We pay for these important things with our taxes and we should take pride in that.
Taxes are like a potluck dinner: Everybody contributes a part of the meal and together a great feast is created for all to share. Yes, we must always be vigilant in holding government accountable for fiscal responsibility and wise spending. But we don’t need to celebrate the idea of avoiding civic responsibility, and dismissing the values most Americans hold dear.
It’s true that for some, taxes can be an economic burden. But for most of us, taxes are no more oppressive than other important responsibilities in our life that we take for granted, such as working to raise a family or saving for retirement. Likewise, paying taxes to ensure that our government is funded adequately is a responsible choice that we have made. We should feel proud about it.
So this year, let’s think of April 15 as Tax Pride Day, a day to remember the great country we've built together—paid for with our taxes.
