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Welcome to Rialto. This is a blog where I hope you will find something of interest to you. I work in Further Education and my hope is to supplement my work in the classroom with extras and advice. I also like to dabble in creative writing and you will find bits and pieces along the way. Feel free to subscribe or pass by again and you may find something of interest.
John.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Taxpayers money versus public money

One phrase that dominates the political and economic lexicon is 'taxpayers' money'.Taxpayers' money this and taxpayers' money that. I believe when we use this terminology we are denigrating the governmental and public spheres of political life. We can only appreciate the term 'taxpayers' money' when we consider what its meaning excludes or in a sense, what does this interpretation imply it is not; that is 'public money'. 'Public money' connotes that the taxes we contribute are done so voluntarily and willingly, and are to be pooled and put to the greater public good. By doing so we are supporting law and order, health, education, roads, sewrage systems and gravedigging amongst a plethora of other things you may think of. Taxpayers' money,on the other hand, has connotations that the money is not really the government's to spend. It has been wrenched from the meagre hands of the people without their consent.
Functional government is, I believe, built on consent and we contribute willingly to that system with our monies. We do so because there are some things that market forces will not involve themselves with and we do so because we want to help build a fairer society. Naturally we must ensure that such monies are not wasted. What sensible person would want otherwise?
So, to answer Margaret Thatcher and the other deeply conservative thinkers especially in the United States there is such a thing as public money.

1 comment:

  1. How many public servants have heard the term " I pay your wages" ?

    ReplyDelete