A Conversation

I was talking to some fellow, engaged Leesburg residents earlier this week after a meeting. A friend was complaining about how "only 4 high schools in Loudoun can have JV Ball!" Ball, in this case is - of course - Football. My friend was angry about the cuts to school sports programs and the fees that were now being charged.

So, I responded, "I assume, then, you'll be supporting higher taxes so the kids can play ball?"

To which he replied, "No, I'm not going to support more taxes!"

I'm not sure what happens when people start talking about politics and government that makes some of my neighbors think that the law of cause and effect is no longer operating.

It was gratifying, however, to hear another friend respond, "I don't know why they don't just raise the tax rate so I'm paying the same as I did last year?" He made the point that his assessment was going down, so he didn't see why his tax rate had to go down too. He would be perfectly fine with the tax rate going up, to equalize it out. "I'm already budgeting for property taxes, just make me pay the same each year, however you have to adjust the rate."

I have to admit being somewhat surprised to not be the only one in the room advocating for providing our government with enough revenue to sustain the services we need as a community. It was nice to see a repository of rational understanding of financial cause and services effect in a neighbor that evening.