Feeding the Gluttony - Beast an Incentive to Vote

By Felix Alvarado

November 21, 2014

According to Abraham Maslow humans are driven by a hierarchy of needs. The theory involves our need to feel safe, secure and to achieve our goals and aspirations.  To achieve our goals we create institutions to help us feel safe, secure protected and to help us as the need arises.  For Example, Hurricane Katrina created massive destruction and many deaths in New Orleans in 2005.  The recovery from this devastation can be attributed to the response of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).  FEMA was there immediately helping people relocate to other parts of the country and provide financial assistance as needed.  Some of the displaced people from New Orleans came to the metroplex and some are still here. 

Recently, the US military has been involved in two major conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Millions of Americans are receiving Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  Many others are receiving some sort of social welfare.  Millions of children and adults are attending some public institution.  We take pride in our public libraries, good streets and roads.  When the streets and roads don’t meet our expectations we complain usually to our elected officials.  All of these programs are paid for by some type of tax levied on us by the federal, state, county or city government.  Indeed our social needs and wants are great. As Maslow would probably say, “Everyone wants to self-actualize”. 

Self-actualization has a price.  Recent elections have capitalized on or have accentuated what some people believe is “Taxed Enough Already”.  If indeed you have been taxed enough already, where would you start cutting taxes?  Almost everyone in Texas has some family member that works for the city, county, state or federal government.  Each of these levels of government has a bureaucracy that handles the administration of its programs.  To cut taxes, you have to cut some program or layoff some people.   The best method to reduce taxes is to not implement them in the first place.  Once a tax increase is passed, it will be hard to reduce or eliminate it in the future.  The Gluttony Beast has to eat.

The word “tax” has an easy definition:  Money that comes out of your pocket voluntarily.  Yes, taxpayers approve all taxes, directly or indirectly.  Directly through the ballot box, indirectly through elected representatives. A tax is not always called a tax.  For example, municipalities will pass a “Room Fee”.  Such “Fees” are common and they are intended to dupe you into believing that the “Fee” is going to be paid by someone else.  The Room Fee is paid only by people that use a motel/hotel room.  Usually the users are travelers so the city gets the tax from some else.  Not the constituent.  Surprise. When you travel guess what you pay when you stay in a hotel.  The same can be said for many types of entertainment only the users pay the fee.   Your phone bill should have several types of fees and taxes.  My favorite type of tax is the red light camera in supposed “dangerous” intersections.  This tax is easy to stomach because only violators pay the fine. Unless you have to pay the fine.  These cameras enforce the letter of the law.  This fine is also a tax.

We all get used to the services provided by government and do not want to interfere with the services.  Yes, the Gluttony Beast has to eat and the more you feed it, the more it wants.  Gluttony Beasts do not know how to go on diets.  The Gluttony Beast has a name.  It is called a bureaucracy and your taxes is what pays for all the services you get.   If you think you have been Taxed Enough Already, there is only one place you can control the Gluttony Beast.  It is a diet called the “Ballot Box”.