(The Center Square) — Property taxes, homeless populations and crime are on the rise.
Despite any real or perceived decreased level of service from the government, taxpayers don’t receive a refund or a tax break.
“There’s not really an ‘investment’ because it’s a forced contribution,” Chase Oliver, an Atlanta resident vying for the Libertarian presidential nomination, told The Center Square during an earlier interview. “And that’s exactly why government is such a bad return on investment, so to speak, because they’re not liable to the shareholders.
“For the most part, we have a two-party system where one side or the other is going to be in charge,” Oliver added. “So, there’s really no market competition at the political level in the political marketplace. And so, there’s really no need for either of the parties to really be responsive to the needs of the individual voter.”
Tony West, deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity-GA, said it’s natural for taxpayers to worry about how the government spends their money.
“Taxpayers are right to be concerned about what their tax dollars are being used for,” West told The Center Square via email. “When government at any level expands into areas it does not belong, attention is diverted from core, necessary functions of government like public safety.
“Elected officials should aim for a limited government that performs a select few tasks very well,” West added. “The alternative is often higher spending, higher taxes, and potentially ineffective government.”
Anna Koval, marketing officer and co-founder of Tarotoo, said taxpayers could challenge rising property taxes by participating in tax assessment reviews and demanding their representatives provide better services without taxes increases.
“Taxpayers can stay informed about their state’s existing tax laws and regulations and question anything that seems unfair or burdensome,” Koval told The Center Square via email. “Simply voicing opinions about the unfairness of taxation helps create public awareness on the issue, which may bring results over time.”
Oliver said that when tax dollars go to the federal government only to be returned to the states, it diminishes their efficacy.
“You don’t really get the biggest return on your investment, especially when your dollar is taken from your pocket, it’s sent to Washington, D.C., it’s then returned back to the state government, with $1.10 worth of regulation attached to it, so then the state has to go ahead and tax you to get that extra money to fulfill their need there,” Oliver said. “It really reduces the productivity of each and every individual.
“And so the return on investment is a negative return on investment because every dollar you take out of a person’s hands to fund a bloated and ineffective government is a dollar that’s taken out of a business owner or an investment or an ability to purchase the essentials that you need for you and your family,” Oliver added. “…A lot of it is also just redundant waste, fraud and abuse, and someone’s getting rich, and it’s not the average taxpayer.”
