A View from Forbes and Braddock

A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didnโ€™t happen.
– Winston Churchill

Updated January 30, 2025

This post was prompted because we are in the primary election season and, yesterday, I saw where the Fern Hollow Bridge near my home fell a hundred feet. I remain amazed and thankful that at 7am on January 28, so few were on this heavily-trafficked structure and all survived. Read more. Reports Iโ€™ve heard about why the bridgeโ€™s faults werenโ€™t fixed include gas taxes intended for this purpose paid for state police patrols in towns that canโ€™t afford their own law enforcement.

Keep in mind, taxes allow governments to provide health and human services, schools, public transportation, our military, courts, community and regional development, parks and recreational spaces, arts events, higher education and research, waste management, etc. Recently, citizens of my county voted to pay higher taxes to improve our public libraries.

I suspect most people donโ€™t like paying taxes that buy ‘Pork Barrels,’ Here are Examples.

So, when political candidates promise to cut taxes, consider asking: What government services will end? How will schoolsย  andย  community resources improve? Also, will these politicians lower taxes by reducing pork barrel spending? How will Federal perksย be affected?

Asย  candidates seek our votes, know how our support be repaid? When elected, how will those politicians spend tax dollars to improve the world and grow prosperity. Because of the fear-mongering that saturates some campaigns, consider how candidates feel about Waverly Presbyterian’s green sign [footsteps from the collapsed bridge].

White lettering on green background reads: Love They Neighbor...No Exceptions.

CBS News Photo of Fallen Bridge, bus and cars.
CBS News Photo of fallen Fern Hollow Bridge, bus and cars.
Tax Humor

What’s the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist only takes the skin.
โ€“ Mark Twain

I am proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is, I could be just as proud for half of the money.
โ€“ Arthur Godfrey

Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today. โ€“
— Herman Wouk

Congress can raise taxes because it can persuade a sizable fraction of the populace that somebody else will pay.
โ€“ Milton Friedman

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About Founder
Sandra Gould Ford

Sandra Gould Ford is an author, educator and former steelworker who presents arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. She belongs to the Authorโ€™s Guild and Science Fiction Writers of America and is a former member of the American Society of Media Photographers. For more information, visit her web site: SandraGouldFord.com.

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