Have you ever noticed the steps cities and states take to make our lives miserable in order to extract tax increases from us? When budgets are cut back because of fewer taxes, what goes first in the triage that politicians engage in? Libraries shut down early or are just closed or longer waits at drivers license bureaus, among other inconveniences.We are also warned that fire and police forces will be cut back (invoking fear). The children are made to pay the price, too. Bands, sports, afterschool clubs all go by the wayside. Field trips become a nostalgia item. Students are forced to use old textbooks, falling apart at the seams. The PTA is asked to make up the shortfall and parents fees go up for an odd assortment of items. But what escapes the budget-cutting? Gold-plated salaries, pensions and health benefits enjoyed by so-called public servants. But politicians want to bury this truth.We see one example of this from Fairfax, Virginia. The school system is looking for a whopping...(Read Full Post)