When is enough, enough?
The push is on to get Ravalli County voters to approve a ballot initiative to assess a tax levy on property owners in order to fund the Ravalli County Museum. This would, hypothetically, allow the museum to continue operations at the current pace and make some needed improvements, while only costing taxpayers $1.35 per $100,000 of appraised value of any real estate owned in Ravalli County. Pocket change, right? Of course, right!!
The problem is, where does it stop? 1%? 2%? 10%? 100%?
Here’s the situation as I see it. The Ravalli County Museum is in danger of going out of business due to lack of revenue. Well, doggone! Welcome to the real world! How many verifiably beneficial ventures, private or collective, have died because there was not enough money to support them? However, the BVHS has identified a (potentially) guaranteed source of income, the taxpayer, and has decided to go after it. If this levy wins the day, it’s fat city until the fat lady sings, which will never be as long as there are property “owners” to be tapped.
If the Ravalli County Museum was able to stay afloat on its own merits, then I would have no problem with it. I might even voluntarily support it financially, if I determined that it is in my best interest to do so. However, if it cannot make it on its own, due to lack of demand for its “services”, then it ought to call it quits and go out of business. Forthwith! Why should it be able to force others to pay its bills because it is deemed (by vested interests, no less) to be a “necessary” part of society? Why should I have to foot its bills even though I have no interest in it?
Some will say that $1.35 per $100,000 of appraised value is miniscule and, therefore, irrelevant. However, if Ravalli County can tax property owners this amount, it can tax property owners $13.50 per $100,000 or more. Ravalli County could literally tax property owners out of existence. There is no limit to the amount of tax which can be assessed against property, so long as the principle exists that any amount can be assessed. When will the straw be piled on the camel’s back before it breaks?
I say, to those who believe the Ravalli County Museum is worthy of support, then support it. More power to you! I hope it works out well. On the other hand, if you think that the museum is worthy of your neighbor’s support, whether he likes it or not, then you have gone too far. As long as it is your decision to fund the museum (and yours alone), then you have my unqualified backing. However, when you decide that everyone else must fund this venture because you find it “worthy”, then you have gone from making a decision about your own business to interfering with your neighbor’s. And, you can be fairly certain, unfortunately, that your neighbor is probably supportive of some program to separate you from your own hard-earned money–through a government mandated, tax funded program. Whether you like it or not!
Taxation, any taxation, is theft. “Thou shalt not steal” was the Word given long ago, but it has been transformed into a more palatable version–”Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote!” and we endorse it wholeheartedly. After all, we’re a democracy and we can vote ourselves rich if we want to. We can also be broken if we continually violate the bedrock principles and refuse to change.
Roger Mitchell
Stevensville