The Legend of the Bargain Citizen

Posted on April 14, 2011 by George Scaggs in Opinion

Apparently, while I was consumed with minding my own business, raising a family and working hard, something happened. For most of my life, I considered myself a rather average American but over the last several years something changed. It appears that I have become somewhat of an anomaly.

Admittedly, I was becoming suspicious. The more aware I became of the world around me, the more I engaged in the responsibilities of civic duty the more I realized that I no longer fit in. It seems I am a stranger in my own country.

With politicos and Big Media defining the citizenry by neatly boxing us into little groups, followed by politicians pandering to us via the messages gleaned from these groups, I’ve grown more distant, detached and disenfranchised from the process. I just never fit comfortably into any of those little boxes.

Clearly, I’m no longer in sync with what passes for being an American, or at least that pervasive worldview that comes at us from all directions. What was formerly considered conventional wisdom has now been reduced to a handful of antiquated notions.

But there is some good news, upon reflection I discovered something extraordinary that I can take solace in. It seems that I’m of much greater value than most of my fellow citizens.

What I’m referring to are the fundamental moral obligations and economic responsibilities that each one of us bears; what an individual contributes to the greater whole of society versus what he or she takes in return. In this regard, it turns out that I‘m one hell of a bargain to the rest of society, call me a bargain citizen.

I go to work, earn my pay, pay my taxes and have never bothered to look to the rest of you for handouts or subsidies. I’ve managed to remain gainfully employed and largely educated myself. No Sir, no scholarships, student loans, unemployment payments or government provided training for me.

Though I must have benefited somehow from a public primary education, having been a property owner for most of my adult life I’m certain that I have settled that score with all the property taxes I paid over the years. Sure, I’ve had a couple of government-backed mortgages but I always made timely payments and eventually paid those loans in full.

I have never manipulated others to enrich myself, never sought undue influence or favor. I’ve never even contemplated filing a frivolous lawsuit – absolving myself of responsibility while driving up the cost of goods and services for my fellow citizens really isn’t my thing. In fact, I choose not to cheat, steal, harm others or behave in any manner that puts an undue burden on the amount generally regarded as “your fair share”.

Preferring the advantages of good credit I have never defaulted on loans, filed bankruptcy or done anything else that might drive up the cost of credit for my fellow Americans. I am fully insured and have always chosen not to reside in areas prone to hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, or wildfires.

I am the law-abiding sort, really not interested in consuming the time and resources of our law enforcement or justice systems. I’m a responsible driver so there’s no need to bother EMS personnel or other public services to clean up a mess on the roadways on my account.

I generally recycle, am mindful not to waste natural resources and I never litter. It has never been necessary to hire someone to pick-up after me as though I am a two-year old.

Though I enjoy donating to private charities, my donations to public charity have been much more substantial. I have been blessed to do better than most and was thus obligated to pay significantly higher tax rates than many of my fellow citizens (an unintended byproduct of choosing to do pretty well for myself). In fact, I have been known to be more than generous, indulging in paying excessive taxes by smoking, drinking, routinely using toll roads, and even playing the state lottery a time or two.

Not that I’m wealthy in a monetary sense. In fact, I’m no different than most citizens in the private sector who struggle through financial ups and downs.

One might think that my fellow Americans would be more appreciative of my approach to citizenship. After all, I’m doing all I can to help fill the public coffers while simultaneously holding down costs, going so far as to donate the maximum allowed by law to that bankrupt ponzi-scheme affectionately known as Social Security, even though the math indicates that my contributions won’t be there when I need them.

If anything, it seems behavior such as mine would be rewarded, publicly lauded, perhaps celebrated somehow. Not today. In fact, all things considered, our government and the court of “public opinion” treats bargain citizens in a most peculiar fashion.

My experience with the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008 provides a fine example. Hearing of the plan, I was initially excited. It seemed Washington was going to return $1,200 of my annual donations in the form of a tax rebate. Unfortunately, as it turned out, someone in Washington determined that I already had too much of my own money and was entitled to a rebate of no more than a few bucks.

After all, I was likely to do something as foolish as save it, maybe invest it. Apparently, some focus group data suggested that our consumer-based economy would be better served by giving my money to citizens who pay no income taxes whatsoever. Surely they were more likely to run out and purchase a big-screen television, the latest phone gadget or some other big-ticket item that I could do without.

Take notice of the type of citizens whose views are sought and sold in the public arena. Amidst the barrage of people who demand more from the rest of us you’ll have to search long and hard for any bargain citizen types.

In modern America such people are safely ignored, rendered insignificant, even demonized. My bet is that many of the citizens showing up at Tea Party rallies and town hall meetings are bargain citizens who have had enough with the present status quo.

I like to imagine an America in which bargain citizens are given their due, where the responsibilities of citizenship are as highly regarded as one’s rights.

Our Constitution was intended to guarantee the freedom and protect the unalienable rights of the individual. But there is a catch, for it clearly establishes that the only government suitable for a free people is a limited one. Therefore, it acknowledges that for man to be truly free, he must be responsible for his self.

Tags: citizen, economy, individual, Liberty, Taxes