Sad Realization

Thomas Jefferson said:

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

In a recent city utility bill, the government included a notice about a new ambulance program where utility customers automatically have $4 added to their bill each month to cover emergency transports. If you've read much of my blog, you know that I don't believe the government should be providing such a program, but it is the type of thing I will accept as the will of the majority. Nevertheless, this program is...are you ready for this...OPT-OUT. That's right, you have to opt-out, not opt-in or enroll. To add insult to injury, you can only opt-out during June. After June, you're enrolled for 12 months. If you do opt-out, you have to continue to opt-out every year in June.

I'm not going to go over all of the problems I have with the city's scheme. Suffice it to say, I found it ill-conceived and deceptive. As such, I began writing a letter to the Mayor this evening to voice my concerns. Toward the end of the letter, I started wondering how the letter might affect my family and my business. Who would the mayor share it with? How might they react? Might someone decide to make our lives difficult?

I decided to delete the letter instead of sending it, and it suddenly occurred to me. I'm afraid of my own government...