The End Of The “We Pay Taxes Too” Argument?

by
Steve MacDonald

You ever get that argument from the teachers, or town, or state workers, that they pay taxes too? Like that makes everything "equal?"

Well yes, you public sector workers do pay taxes.  But we pay the same taxes as you do.  And we pay for most of your retirement, and most of your insurance benefits.  But we are also paying for most of our own retirement, and most of our own benefits on top of paying for your salary and your benefits.

So if public sector employees are genuinely interested in making a parity argument, where the cost paid by each and every working family are as close to equal as the statement "we pay taxes too" implies, then public sector workers either need to start writing each of us a check for the same percentage of our private sector retirement and insurance benefits costs as we pay for theirs. or they can just start paying for more of their own until we achieve some kind of cost equality. 

Until then it can never be equal.  We will always be paying the same taxes, plus the cost of our own retirement and benefits–which (by the way) you public sector employees and your unions have made quite clear we need to support along with raise increases regardless of the economy or our incomes–which means we may have to give up adding to our own retirements so you can keep your sweet deal.

In fact.  The only way there could ever be "equality" is if  state or town workers paid for their own retirement and benefits, out of their pay check, just like we do.   Most of you guys have the unions to represent you.  Have them go work out a deal with private 401K providers and insurers like every other business owner or private citizen does.  That would make the "we pay taxes too argument" almost reasonable.

So to sum up, in case you just can’t follow, unlike your tax bill,  my tax bill does not come with a living wage, a pension I can collect for decades and benefits during and after employment.  My tax bill just comes with a due date.

 

By the way, I’m just as happy to take cash for your share of the cost of my retirement and benefits.  It doesn’t have to be a check.

Author

  • Steve MacDonald

    Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, blogger, and a member of the Board of directors of The 603 Alliance. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor of GraniteGrok.com, a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy.

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