Remember this simple fact whenever a political candidate or government official tells you he or she will give you something: Government does not have anything to give that it does not first take from somebody else.
It’s an axiomatic truth that our government cannot give us anything unless it first takes it from somebody else. In order for government to own something, it has to take money (taxes) or property (via a legal provision known as eminent domain) from citizens. Once taken, it is then considered “government property.”
Simply put, government extracts resources from producers (ex: income tax, corporate taxes) and spenders (ex: sales tax) to fill the public treasury. That is necessary and proper for legitimate government functions authorized by the Constitution and provided for by law. However, some political candidates and government officials have the audacity to go beyond that and say they’re going to give us something out of the public treasury. That’s such a lie! It’s not theirs to give. Even a tax cut is not giving us something — it’s simply taking less of something that was ours to start with.
The bottom line: It’s our money that they’re spending in Washington! The same is true for our state capitol, city hall, county courthouse, school district or whatever level of government. Think about this next time you vote.