Dear Tax Payers of Washington State

Usually when you give money to an organization, someone lets you know what was done with it. The government doesn’t do that, which makes paying taxes a thankless task.  As a beneficiary of your generosity, I thought I would take the time to express my gratitude.

Thank you.

Without you, there is no way I would be where I am right now. Your support made it possible for me to go to college. It was grants and government funded programs that paid the vast majority of my tuition in both undergrad and graduate school.  I am the product of a blue-collar, working class family. Although my parents and I worked hard none of us worked the kind of job that made paying the cost of an education feasible.  Thank you for enabling me to get out of a daily struggle just to get by to a place where I can live comfortably and help others.

I know it’s easy to think of paying taxes as drudgery or a waste, but truly, by pooling your resources the way you did, you were able to do something that could not have been any other way. I cannot conceive of an individual person, not-for-profit, or company that would have done for me what you collectively did. Thank you for coming together to support to do something for me that none of you could have done on your own.

The amazing thing about my education is how easy it was to get the money for it. I didn’t have to prove to the government that I was worthy of it. All I had to do was show up needy, and the government met my needs. I believe the Gospel is like that. I do not need to prove myself to God in order to get blessings from him. He knows what I need, and he gives it to me. Also like the Gospel, the government’s giving was unconditional. I don’t need to worry about maybe some day being required to pay it all back. There is freedom for me to enjoy using what I learned in school. It’s the same with God. He has freely chosen me to be his child. I don’t have to worry that he might take back his blessings. Thank you for demonstrating grace to me.

I love that as a public teacher, I get to give the same gift to others that you gave to me. My students, like myself, could not get an education without your support. I love that I get to help them become productive members of society, who in turn will get to pay taxes that will help others.  Thank you for your support of our community.