The Value of Taxes

by Kate Childs Graham  |  April 05, 2012

In any election year, taxes are a political football. And this year, with corporate-backed politicians attacking public workers and the taxes that make public services possible, is no different.

Missing from the debate, though, is thoughtful conversation on the real value of taxes. Taxes pay for our schools, our roads. Taxes cover our libraries, our fire stations. Taxes, like public service workers, make America happen.

In paying taxes, we demonstrate that we value public services, and the hard-working Americans who provide those services, including many AFSCME members.

That’s the argument commentator Melissa Chadburn makes in her recent segment on American Public Media’s Marketplace. Take a listen:

So, are corporations, with their loopholes and tax cuts, showing their true colors? Does every corporate loophole take a dig at the value of public service? Does every corporate cut minimize the value of public workers?

Perhaps on Tax Day, we should all wear stickers, proudly declaring, like Chadburn, “I love taxes.”