I have to be honest. Watching some of these county officials argue against the property tax amendment has been eye opening. It’s been a bit silly whether they recognize it or not.

They seem genuinely worried about what it might do to government budgets. But where was that concern when families all over were watching their property tax bills climb year after year?

Most people did not suddenly have a bunch of extra money. Their house went up in value on paper, but their paycheck did not. They still had to figure out how to pay the higher tax bill. They cut back. They put off purchases. They made it work because they had no choice. Government had a choice.

As property values kept going up, tax revenues kept going up too. Budgets grew. Spending grew. Now we are being told that asking government to live with less is somehow unreasonable.

That’s diabolically nuts to suggest! If we can do it, so can they, but they won’t unless we make them!

Families have been tightening their belts for years. Maybe it is time for government to tighten theirs too.

I keep hearing about all the terrible things that could happen if this amendment passes. What I didn’t hear while we were all being taxed on unrealized gains was much discussion about finding waste, setting priorities, or doing more with what they already have.

That is what every family has had to do.

At the end of the day, elected officials work FOR the people. The first instinct should be to ask how they can protect taxpayers, not how they can protect a growing budget.

Imagine, if the average household knew today that five years from now its income would be less than 10 percent lower, it would start planning now. It would trim expenses, postpone nonessential spending, and make adjustments over time. Why should county government be any different?

Government doesn’t spend tax dollars. It spends pieces of people’s lives. A budget isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s the accumulated blood, sweat, and tears of the people who make a community work. Every elected official should remember that before spending a single dollar. Every tax dollar has a story. It isn’t just another dollar in a government budget. It’s an hour someone worked instead of being home with their family. It’s a business owner who took the risk to build something. It’s a farmer working in the heat. It’s a nurse pulling another shift. It’s a retiree trying to make ends meet on a fixed income. Government never creates wealth. It only spends what someone else earned. That’s why every tax dollar should be treated as sacred. It represents someone’s sacrifice. It should be spent with the same care and respect that it took to earn it.

Never forget who works for whom. The Constitution begins with three words. We the People. Not… “We the Bureaucracy.” Not… “We the Politicians.” Government exists because the people allow it to exist. Public office isn’t royalty. It’s public service.

Never let anyone convince you otherwise.

In November, every voter will have to decide what they think is fair. I know where I stand.