'Nother Well Considered Rant



Kenny asked me the other day if I'd heard of the espresso tax in Seattle which I honestly didn't remember hearing about before.



I said, "Does it include lattes, too?"



"No," he continued, humorlessly, "It's on all coffee drinks and its to pay for preschool for early childhood education in the inner city."



"I'm against it, then, " I responded, "sounds like a bad idea. Why should coffee drinkers be taxed specially?"



"It's just a dime, " he said.



"Still a bad idea, simple economics tells you if you increase the price, you reduce sales."



His gorge arose as he told me that, or asked me, "You have to agree that early childhood education for innercity kids is important."



Important, yes. Essential, no. I know it takes a village and all that and I believe it. I just resent having to take responsibility for someone else's kids just because I want a cup of coffee. It appears that they tax specific items in Seattle for other areas but what the hey. I'm not sure I'm in favor of those either.



I haven't been demonstrated that this is a necessity or that it'll be properly used by the city. I've seen the Kansas City Missouri school district. I was taxed 1% of my salary for awhile until the runaway judge was corralled. Billions went to pay for improvements in facilities that have not resulted in better integrated schools, higher achievements, better graduation rates. Fencing teams, olympic size swimming pools, all kinds of stuff that was nice for the schools but hardly essential or perhaps even necessary. Nothing like spending someone else's money, my dad says.



So, I'm cynical,too. Not one dime from me for your ideas until you can demonstrate something worthwhile.



You can talk to me