BANG FOR THE BUCK

By Dennis Melby

Today, Monday April 15 is the Day. Write the check and mail it in – the government thanks you.

If you pay taxes, do you think they’re spent well?

• Public Education
• Public Safety
• Military Defense
• Social Services
• Debt Service
• Salaries of those we elect

Lots of folks don’t think we get the bang for the buck. In this county most of our money goes to funding public education, yet our professionals always tout that next year will be better, next year we’ll spend more money and finally get great teachers and more great administrators who’ll be able to close the forever gap between poor performing kids and those who excel (a gap that doesn’t exist in non-government schools).

Another big pot goes to public safety. Yet people don’t want to be Cops. Many in the government don’t support them – and government officials are torn between defunding the police and paying premiums and signing bonuses to attract people to work for a non-supportive government. Quite a quandary.

Although we’ve had local one-party government for years, Republicans can spend with the best of them on other levels. Federal spending, federal debt spending, increases under both Parties as surely as the sun rises in the east.

Let’s remember this Tax Day to elect folks who promise to treat government money like it’s not theirs. To work for the future, not just broadcast money to get reelected, or to buy votes from different segments of the population.

Tell me what you think, do we get bang for the bucks we spend in MoCo? What do we do well? What do we do poorly?

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Dennis Melby is the Chairman of the Republican Party in Montgomery County Maryland. He can be reached at [email protected]