Is that Right?

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Last summer our County placed an initiative on the ballot to increase taxes specifically to preserve the then mostly free parks system. The County threatened to close about half of the parks and lay off workers if the initiative failed. Well, it failed. Nobody got laid off, and none of the parks closed, but the County did put usage fees on every park. Is that right?

Like everywhere, there is a huge push to conserve energy. But in our State, now that people are buying hybrids and stuff to save fuel, the State collects less money from the gasoline tax. Now the State wants to put a use fee, based upon the miles you drive, in addition to the gas tax. And they threaten to double our motor vehicle registration fees if we don't agree. Is that right?

Our State also added a deposit on water bottles. (Seems odd that there is no deposit on all the other plastic bottles like Windex, or liquid soaps). The deposit, which is about ten times greater than the value of the bottle, can only be refunded at the place of sale. The bar code prevents you from trying to get the refund anywhere else. So if you're travelling, forget about the deposit. We have mandatory recycling for our rubbish collection. So, even if you separate the stuff for them, they keep the recycle deposits and value of the scrap. It's all planned as a means to turn the deposits into an outright tax for the State. Is that right?

Our published City budget revealed that a significant portion of their income was derived through traffic fines. In looking at the yearly comparisons, as the City budget grew, so did the traffic fines. Is that right?

I'm sure that each of you can site similar examples of this in your government. Here is my point:
Fees enacted by our government are not identified as "Taxes" and do not need the approval of the people. Fees can be collected by the City, County, or State administrator, pretty much at their will. Fees are actually worse than taxes because most of the time you can't even write them off as income. Is that Right?

Times are tough. Unemployment is above 12% nationwide with some areas double that. Those figure are based upon unemployment claims, and do not include Welfare or unemployment claims that have run out. Yet there are very few layoffs in government. The government, to ensure their jobs, just continues to tax us more.

Is that right, or am I right? Good day from the Thought Dock.