Bloated Government on a Crash Diet

Cal Thomas | Syndicated Columnist | Published: Feb 25, 2010

Bloated Government on a Crash Diet


February 26, 2010

What is happening in the Washington suburb of Fairfax County, Va., demonstrates how progressive government manages to extract more and more money from taxpayers.

When times are good and revenue comes in, governments spend on existing and new programs. But when an economic downturn hits, they cut a little bit and raise taxes. That is precisely what Fairfax County officials want to do. They are proposing a paltry 100 layoffs in a bloated government and a property tax increase.

Government considers everything it does as noble and necessary. And when it is forced to make cuts, it usually does so in programs like education, fire and police to get the public riled up and force them to accept tax increases. It's a shell game in which the successful are again penalized for their success and the population that pays little or no taxes continues to feed at the trough made possible by the productive.

This isn't unique to Fairfax County. It happens everywhere and the only way to stop it is to just say no to big government and big spender and taxers.


Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.

Bloated Government on a Crash Diet