Do not claim something is free when it is not.
During this past BudComm meeting, as we were wrapping up discussing the Library Budget, Richard Young had something to say. As you listen to it (he is not in the video), remember this phrase:
TANSTAAFL
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. This is a basic, fundamental axiom of economics (one I wish more people would understand and moreover, embrace). No matter what you think, for whatever you enjoy at no cost to you, somebody somewhere by some means has paid for you.
As adults, we know better the true costs of what earning a living costs in time and effort and what it costs to provide for a family. And yes, to provide taxes for the local government that we do need to support.
All of that said, I vehemently
But the cost of that "free" service is, in round numbers, $275,000 to the town taxpayers.
In other words, it could be illustrative to think about it in this way: with about 7,400 residents in town, it costs each of us about $37 / year to support the library. Or, for a family of four (the traditional family), figure about $150 in round numbers per year.
A large number? To some a pittance, to others, it is. But it is not free. And there are more than a few that maintain that the price is a low price to pay for such a library. But the question must always be asked - what else could that family be doing with that money instead? And this is NOT a silly question - no matter the amount of money being bandied about, the question of who has control of someone else's money is ALWAYS of prime importance! And no, the purpose of that money is not the basis of the question. It is, however, always a question of the State respecting the fundamental philosophy behind the Right to Private Property (which money is).
