Wanted: Sanity and a Larger Monitor

How To Fail At Referencing History

Apparently I need to post something this year.

Anywho, not too long ago, here in the metropolis of Cedar Rapids, there was a vote on a local-option sales tax for flood relief. Just before the vote, there was a small attention-getting maneuver by the opposition:

Cedar Rapids group plans 'tea' party

Obviously, it's very amusing that tea in river water is a pollutant. But that's not really the point I'm trying to make here. The point is three-fold:

1) The Boston Tea Party was a demonstration against 'taxation without representation' by American colonists who were upset about not having any say in their taxes. Hence the 'without representation' part. This is frequently referenced in grade-school history texts.

2) A local-option sales tax, as it is put up for community vote, is by default not 'taxation without representation'. Instead, everybody in the community gets to represent themselves in voting on it.

3) Story + Point 1 + Point 2 = Massive Fail.

That is all.

Posted by Ardith at March 10, 2009 05:37 PM | TrackBack