Taxes: They’re only evil when disproportionate

“Washington state leaders must tax the way to a just society,” (TNT, local viewpoint, 12/8).

The authors make the case that a fair tax system is important in “addressing our nation’s racially biased past.” I’d like to address their last point, that paying for services that government provides is “a necessary evil.”

Paying for government services not evil; it is the privilege and responsibility of everyone living in modern society. Taxes are evil only if they are unfair and exploit the poor for the benefit of the rich.

Do we want adequate roads? Good schools and colleges? Safety and security? Efficient stewardship of our lands and resources? Just courts and police? Adequate housing? We as a society have to pay for all that.

However, taxes should not be a heavy weight on anyone. The responsibility should fall on us evenly, not burden the poor while the prosperous are allowed to escape.

Until someone comes up with another policy for fair taxation, the progressive income tax is the solution.

This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Taxes: They’re only evil when disproportionate."