The Libertarian philosophy is sometimes summed up in two simple rules: 1) Don’t Hurt others. 2) Don’t take what is rightfully theirs. The second part means, simply, that theft is wrong. But what can we do when the thief is our local government?
For example, residents of Kennett Township in Chester County, Pa. are up in arms over the apparent theft of 3.2 million dollars in taxpayer monies. The township has accused a longtime manager and has spent over $350,000 trying to track down what happened to their money. The Daily Local reported that the current supervisors do not even know how much money was embezzled, or for how long. The theft took place over two administrations going back at least six and a half years.
So far, the total loss amounts to nearly $550 for every man, woman, and child in the township of 6200. The residents of Kennett want to know how their administrations could have been so incompetent as to allow this theft to have occurred, and over such a long period. Their new township manager does not know if taxes will need to be raised to cover the loss.
Meanwhile, most Chester County residents are probably unaware that 27 cents out of every tax dollar collected in the county does not go towards road repairs, health care, or public safety. It goes to servicing the huge 50-million-dollar debt accrued by township managers. The county’s own controller has questioned this lack of fiscal restraint. The wealthiest county in Pennsylvania should not be using almost 30% of tax collected to pay off debt instead of being used for the services the voters believe to be worthwhile.
While the embezzler in Kennett has been accused of breaking the law, the other supervisors, along with the managers of Chester County are acting legally, if not in the best interests of their community.
An even clearer example of legal government theft is taking place in Downingtown and Tredyffrin/Easttown. Here, the school boards have decided to seize private property that had already been sold to developers. In the latter case, a 5-million-dollar sale was nullified – the school board is attempting to force the landowner to accept almost 3 million dollars less – a theft of over half of the value of the property.
In Downingtown, TV channel 29 reported that the school district will be seizing homes from residents. A family has stopped accepting foster children because their home will be taken by the district. At the same time, the Downingtown School district admits that it has no immediate plans for the seized land and may not ever build on it. Instead, they are stealing homes and businesses in the event that they will ever need the land.
Section 10 of the Pennsylvania Constitution states that “…nor shall private property be taken or applied to public use, without authority of law and without just compensation being first made or secured.”. In this case, ‘just compensation’ should mean honoring the value of land that is already established by prior contract. Instead, the government s simply seizing property, homes and businesses and paying whatever they want, with little or no justification. In other words, legal theft.
Chester County attracts residents for many reasons. Quality of life, great schools, wonderful communities, and a relatively low crime rate. But while Chester County residents may not have much to fear from ordinary forms of theft, they should be increasingly worried about the theft of their tax dollars, land, and homes by government bodies that increasingly demonstrate a lack of competence and an excess of greed.