And it’s called TAXES!
Nightmare in My Closet
One of my kids’ favorite books when they were small was Mercer Mayer’s “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet.” I think many people know the story:

There’s a little boy who believes a monster lives in his closet. As it turns out, the monster, who is big and ugly and creepy, is just as afraid of the little boy as the boy is of him. They finally realize that they have a common bond and become friends. The end.

Many Minnesota Republicans insist there is a nightmare in their closet. It’s called taxes, which can be big and ugly and creepy if you perceive them to be that way. Or they can become your friend if you respect them and utilize what they have to offer.

more inside
Generally speaking, higher taxes go with higher standards of living and more egalitarian societies. The Scandinavian countries are a good example. Minnesota is another good example. The quality of life in Minnesota is one of the highest in the nation. It is also a relatively high tax state.

Put simply, taxes are a shared way in which society pays for common properties, goods and services that everyone uses. Examples include schools, parks, roads, police and fire protection and public defense (in the case of a nation). Taxes also help pay for health care, food, housing and business incentives.

Indeed, taxes are not to be feared but to be utilized.

The logic of treating taxes as if they are a nightmare hiding in a closet is beyond me, unless, of course, it is done for purely political reasons. In that case, treating taxes as if they were a big and ugly and creepy monster makes perfect sense if you put your own political agenda, personal opportunities and personal wealth above everyone else’s. To me that’s called selfishness