Dear Editor:
Re item: Committee approves bill hiking marriage fees.
Here we go again. Tack on more fees (marriage fees) to pay for more government programs of dubious value.
Our legislators want to fund a law that allows judges to order parenting plans, mediation and parental education for divorcing couples. Why should citizens be forced to attend government approved classes for personal behavior? What happens if one doesn't meet the requirements of these classes? They can't get divorced?
Couples wishing to marry will get a $60 rebate for having attended four hours of premarital counseling by a state certified counselor or a minister. A rebate?
Are our legislators nuts or out of control?
Thank goodness Sen. Bill Clabough was able to bring some sanity to the table by removing Blount and Sevier counties from its provisions. His comment that funding, if needed, should come from the general fund on its own merit and not from marriage fees is correct.
However, in that manner, the proposed program and its cost to the taxpayers would be more readily noticed than trying to raise the fee on marriage contracts. that clandestine action is especially distasteful now, in light of the already $600 to $800 million in over spending by our legislature.
Fees for specific purposes should be set to cover the cost of those services. Fee increases should not be sneaked in to pay for other items. As an example, the proposal to raise car tag fees by $12, ostensibly for the general fund. Blount County's proposed Wheel Tax is another.
Knock off these feel good programs that we taxpayers are forced to pay for. Get back to the basics of providing for the general public. If there's a deficiency in a government program or service that is required by our state's constitution it will be brought to our legislators attention by their constituency.
A government-required behavior education program, indeed! Surely one can see where this is leading.
It's time to quit raising fees (taxes) and get government out of its citizens' personal lives.
It's time to look at Libertarian Party principles.
George Masek
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