I have some serious problems with Mr. Knecht's "Commentary" in the March 13-16 edition of the Humboldt Sun.
"Every cent taken in taxes is an act of destruction of human and social well-being?" Really? Mr. Knecht doesn't believe in ANY public commons? He doesn't believe in public roads? Or public water and systems? Or police and fire fighters? Or public schools and universities? I'm sorry, but all of those do promote "human and social well-being" and they're all part of OUR public commons created using OUR tax dollars. So exactly what is Mr. Knecht proposing, selling off all of our "public commons" at fire-sale prices to the "deserving" richest among us, all so THEY can charge us by the mile, by the book or test, by the flush or by the flame? What about the police? Is he proposing we should submit to a "Robocop" scenario across the state? Isn't that why our fore-father's fled Europe? To flee the tyranny of the rich who oppressed those beneath them?
"All taxes are unfair because they can't be charged according to the social costs that people cause, nor the benefits they receive?" What does that even mean? That we should bestow OUR public commons to corporate parasites that pay NO taxes just because they might be the bearer of jobs? Isn't it "corporations" that consume our infrastructure and pollute our lands and waters at the greatest rates, causing destruction of human and social well-being? Isn't it the corporations that choose NOT to pay a living wage NOR to provide health benefits to their workers, leading to the destruction of human and social well-being? Isn't it those same workers who now, no longer have an "ability to pay," again, leading to the destruction of human and social well-being? Is that really what Mr. Knecht's "fair way to run our country" would look like?
Then there's his rant about public employees. Every cent of Mr. Knecht's paycheck is paid with public tax dollars. That makes Mr. Knecht a PUBLIC employee. What makes him believe he's so infinitely better than police, firefighters, teachers, or even a clerk at a local DMV?
He may talk fondly about our kids/grandkids, but that's just a ruse, a distraction. He does make his intentions clear: to do everything he can to stifle/gut K-12 education programs that might make our children competitive and productive in an ever changing economy.
I disagree with Mr. Knecht and with that for which he stands. Instead of looking for ways to improve our "human and social well-being," he's apparently looking for ways to destroy it. I fear that our "investment" in his paycheck will yield negative dividends for the everyday Nevadan before all is said and done.
Vickie Rock lives in Winnemucca.[[In-content Ad]]
