Crime DOES Pay...if You're the Government

Government officials don't have to be responsible with money because it isn't theirs to begin with, and when they find themselves a little short on cash, they simply raise taxes or impose fines. In Rhode Island, for example, the state wants to start taxing drivers based on the mileage put on their vehicles. In addition to paying for roads and bridges (things that should already be receiving adequate funding), the money will be used to prop up the outdated and financially strapped public transit system.

In Gwinnett County, Georgia, a move is on to force residents to take part in a mandatory recycling program. Did I say "mandatory"? I meant to say that it's voluntary -- as long as residents are ready to shell out $500 each time they choose not to participate.

These kinds of regulations might be enough to give some people the crazy idea that they can vote with their feet and just pick up and move to a community that actually celebrates freedom. No such luck. This is America, after all. Where state or local governments fail to stick it to law-abiding citizens, the federal government is there to pick up the slack. Farmers are finding this out thanks to a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that would require certain farms with dairy cows, beef cattle, or hogs to pay an annual fee because of their livestock's greenhouse emissions. No, they're not kidding.

These types of regulations are always implemented under the auspices of providing for the "common good." But in reality they are nothing more than fund-raising schemes that end up making criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens.

When you and I are in a financial pinch, we are forced to reassess how much we spend and make the necessary adjustments. We don't have the luxury to go out and rob our neighbors -- except, of course, for those lazy compassionate types who try to "spread the wealth" through the ballot box.

The state, however, can do whatever it wants to pad its pockets. It's why police forces are maintained. If you believe otherwise, then just haven't been paying attention.