Too much give and take

The following letter to the editor appeared in the Northwest Herald. Mr. Quinn makes an excellent point. Many people spend so much of their money paying taxes they do not have money to give to other causes. He also makes an excellent point about personal responsibility. If more individuals would take personal responsibility instead of having the government take care of them we would not have to pay so many taxes. Remember these taxing bodies live off of your blood, sweat and tears. More often than not government employees have better schedules, pay, benefits and pensions than the average taxpayer. Because of their money and time off they have the time to lobby legislators for even more of your money. The two teachers unions are the primary and tertiary donors to legislators.

If you want to pay less taxes you can give their time to groups that fight taxes. You can also spend time writing to the legislators and encouraging friends and neighbors to write to legislators to stop the educational spending race.

Too much give and take

[published on Sat, Jul 1, 2006]

To the Editor:

Re: The June 27 editorial, "Giving hits miserly low."

I'm sorry if my giving to charities appears to have slacked off. But, I'm busy giving to the federal government. I'm busy giving to the state government. I'm busy giving to the county.
I'm busy giving to the township.

I'm busy giving to two school districts. I'm busy giving to the park district. I'm busy giving to the conservation district. I'm busy giving to the city of McHenry.

I'm busy giving to the secretary of state.

I'm busy giving to the oil companies. I'm just busy giving to lots of places with their hands out, crying, "Gimme, gimme."

I'm so busy giving to all of them, that I don't give to the tobacco or alcohol industries.

I don't give to the Lotto.

I don't give to fast-food restaurants.

I almost never give to the entertainment industry; no movies in quite awhile now.

Sorry, charities, but it became inevitable that something had to give.
And with all those hands out, maybe I just didn't see you fighting for your place in the crowd.

Also, I'm doing my best to avoid taking.

And I hope that I never will, so that others don't have to give.

Dave Quinn
McHenry