I don’t mind paying taxes. I think that most of the politicians who run on tax cuts are scam artists. When some people are giving their first-born son or daughter to this country I’m not going to claim that taxes are killing me. In fact, I’m probably a lot more pro-tax than Governor Carcieri. But that isn’t the same as handing the Governor my wallet saying, ‘Take whatever you need, Donald, I trust you completely.’

I don’t mind paying taxes if they are fair, equitable and used responsibly for the common good. Okay, I know… we live in Rhode Island. But that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t want my money used to enrich conservative Republican lawyers who coincidentally happen to be big in Mitt Romney’s campaign and might remember what a good pal Donald Carcieri was if Mitt gets elected president.

I want my $15,000 back. Not handed out in a no-bid contract to pay James Bopp Jr. Esq. to give an opinion on gay marriage. The Governor has opinions. Let him use his own. Not to mention that Bopp is not from Rhode Island, and there are plenty of opinions to be had from Rhode Islanders, who are the people who will live with the law.

This Rhode Islander is of the opinion that gay marriage should be mandatory. Why should straight people be the only ones who suffer? Let gays have to deal with relatives who nag them about when they’re going to make it legal. Let gays agonize over thank-you letters for wedding presents they got a year ago and can’t remember who gave it to them. It’s harsh, but fair’s fair.

Speaking of fair, the Governor is cutting aid to children, youth, and the elderly. He figures they can handle some austerity, some belt-tightening and all. I’ll bet there is a lot more worry and anguish in this state about working families losing child care, and seventeen year old kids in the adult prison, and eighteen year old kids kicked out of the foster care system than there is about gay marriage. A lot of people have more material threats to their families.

We take pretty good care of our governor. He’s a long way from the lifestyle where $20.00 less a week is a crisis. I get annoyed when I see the Gov’s big SUV that I’m buying him. I have to live with that. But if he wants to make friends and influence people in the Republican Party, he can use his own money and not freeload off mine.

By the way, I’m still waiting for all the millions he’s going to turn up with the Big Audit. First item — pay back that $15,000.