Did axing the tax kill country's progress?

THE EDITOR: We envy and admire the First World. We want our surroundings pristine, everything working. Those people out there have to pay their taxes or face jail because tax revenue pays for everything. The salaries of workers who provide goods and services cannot be denied.

As an election ploy in a small Third World country we allowed manipulated ignorance to win over knowledge. Would the regional corporations in TT be asking for money if those billions of dollars in revenue from property tax had not been forfeited?

In the First World, it matters not which political party is in power as the pristine cleanliness and salaries are guaranteed.

It is my humble, unsolicited view that the slide into TT lawlessness escalated out of hate, fear and envy. Those are words of four letters that drive crime and criminality. We envy people what they worked hard for, what they own. We too want free money and the nice life. But the First World is expensive business without taxation.

There can be no meaningful progress in a society without the rules of taxation and fairness and the competent delivery of goods and services.

We have moved past 1970 and 1990. Our political scenarios have changed. Ask yourself this: do we need a commission of enquiry to engage what really happened to cause the ramping up of guns, drugs and human trafficking in order to make easy money?

Social media shows us what we can aspire to but do we truly understand why nothing is achieved without personal sacrifice?

The lives of people in First World countries are on camera at every street corner and every public building. They are heavily taxed and cannot make squeak. Like breathing, they expect to be taxed.

Go out there and ask them. Absolutely nothing is for free.

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin