Posted On: August 23, 2007, 10:35 am CDT

Posted By: GB

I think services need to be provided to society and infrastructure needs to be maintained. For example there is a bridge in Minnesota that needs replacing. That bridge is important to people in that town, and a bigger area, but its not important to me ( I live in Boston )so if I had the choice, I would choose not to pay for that bridge. But I know it needs to be replaced and someday a bridge near me will need to be replaced and those people in Minnesota will help pay for the bridge that I value.

Your example of the mandatory home improvement company is a good one, but in order for that to happen, enough people would have to implement that plan. If everyone wanted it that way, it would be that way. If most people don't want it that way, you couldn't implement it. I think most people agree that a police and fire department are necessary, a public school is a good thing to have, higway sigs and traffic signals are beneficial, etc.

I find it odd that you have the viewpoint that you do since you work in insurance. The whole theory of insurance is that if you get everyone to pay for it, it's beneficial. You may not need insurance this year, but you pay for it. Some guy in Florida might get his house blown away and he gets a new $200k house for $1500 bucks a year.....it works over a long enough time frame and a big enough sample of people....just like the public services provided by our government. I think our government is rife with problems ( ineptitude, dishonesty, etc ) but until I hear a better idea, I am willing to accept the current system and strive for improvements rather than abolishing the system and hoping for peace out of the enusing anarchy.