More and more

With all that has happened in our economy over the last decade, there seems to be a lot more people coming up short. That includes government agencies at every level.

Things that used to be easily paid for, like road maintenance, schools and trash collection, now carry prohibitive costs. We hear astronomical figures tossed around like it's pocket change.

And where is all this money coming from? As always, taxes and fees. But now, with the vehement opposition to paying taxes (the death knell for any politician is to suggest any increase in taxes) agencies are turning to increased fees to make up the difference and that falls directly on the small businesses that, unlike large corporations, cannot afford "offshore" operations, foreign bank accounts and the many other ways big business has to dodge the paying of taxes.

So we choke down the increased water bill, the staggering cost of a parking ticket, the cost of more inspections by more agencies looking to find additional funds … it goes on and on. We have to pass the higher costs along to our customers who, more and more, can turn to cheaper goods made in other countries by companies that might have even put them out of work when they moved offshore.

We really need to take a hard look at what these "cheaper goods" are really costing us.

D.D.