Imagine the local syndicate shows up, and demands a third of your paycheck.

You worked hard for that money. You sacrifice. You put all your family has at risk to earn it, and the syndicate want’s half.

If you don’t comply, they will take all that you have, and make it impossible for you to earn anymore, because they ARE the syndicate and they control everything in their “hood” completely. You have no choice.

They claim they are going to provide you with services. The services are neither very good or delivered in a timely fashion,  and largely benefit those who don’t work like you do.

The syndicate is government. City, State and Federal.

They make the Mafia (and all organized crime organizations) look like pushovers.

Even with the tax reductions, those among us who do well can expect 33% of what we make to be paid in taxes.

Had Trump not passed a tax roll back, it would be closer to 40%.

Let’s talk about what you “get” for those taxes.

Regulations that make everything more expensive. Highways that cost you tires and suspension parts. Punitive rules inflicted by government employees who functionally can’t be fired, who are convinced that they are acting in the best interest of “the government”

Our city recently had a snow removal debacle. It was staged by the employees who didn’t like the city leadership’s grand plans that they didn’t feel included enough of a raise. So they took it out on us, the taxpayer.

They never see it that way. They think government should continue to grow and get involved in more things.

Governments reach is pervasive, too. They touch EVERYTHING. If you think businesses pay for them, think again. Those costs, regulations, rules, taxes, are passed along to you.

But there is always a group of politicians who think it’s just fine to soak you for more and more taxes, and provide special interest groups more an more hand outs.

Then there are some that think the government should take things over, like the Internet.

The highest electricity rates in the country are paid by customers served by government. The TVA. Service with a sneer, and you don’t have any option.

If you would like to see how this all works, consider the Veterans Administration.

Or, you can see it first hand in Puerto Rico. PREPCO, the Puerto Rican Electric Power Company. They are bankrupt, and until an upswell of public pressure, were refusing any and all help – mostly to appease their fearless ruler, who did not care for President Trump. Not a word about customers. Non-stop partisan politics.

I don’t have a mortgage on my home. But I’m not so certain that I own it. You see, if I don’t pay the taxes, the county will seize it and sell it to one of their cronies on the courthouse steps. Organized crime would love to have this kind of power.

One Third. Last year Tax Freedom Day was April 23rd. 112 days of your life spent feeding the serpent that is government.

One third. Loan sharks would love to be able to get that kind of “vig”.

The government thinks its as it should be…. and you know they will be back, finding new and interesting ways to get into your pockets.

There are so many quotes I could put in here from the book “Animal Farm”, but I won’t. You have read it, and you know.

You work hard. They take, all in the name of the public “good”.

If only they could live up to “good”. Most of us would settle for “fair”.

Government is the Syndicate.