"If a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who should make the laws. Ancient legislators knew they could not reform the manners of a city without the help of a songwriter and a poet." – Andrew Fletcher, to Scottish Parliament in 1704

In the fight between the good, the schemers and the evil of deed, there is no autopilot system to reform local, state and federal politics made it's appearance.

http://www.wizardacademypress.com/shopexd.asp?id=37 makes an interesting discussion on visual and auditory messaging to get ideas on the radar screen. Poets and musicians may find useful neurological insights to further their emotional triggers to bold political statements.

Short of political talent, I can only point out the failings of Big Brother that cause tax increases to fund some of their incompetence. Big tax California, Massachusetts and New Jersey are creating a economic climate for workers and businessmen to exit the state.

The ridiculously high-tax cost of doing business for the businessman is becoming economically burdensome. The cost of living for the worker is becoming exorbitant and a stretch for keeping even. Free market forces have been challenged by an insidious political landscape. We find a high-tax bureaucracy with tentacles of job protected workers. Notice that these bureaucrats don't have to show a profit or cost effectiveness to justify their jobs most of the time; they are just there collecting their paychecks.

That protectionism seems to foster mediocrity, featherbedding and workplace complacency. When city workers and cops are making $75,000 and more and get pensions off after 20 years service while the rest of working America have to labor 40 to 45 years before retirement becomes an option. Do we have a fairness problem regarding government union monopoly?

Public Big Brother (one in five work for local, state and the federal government) have their ridiculously compensated wage contracts cemented with early retirement and other perks. Health insurance monopoly legislation and other protected monopolies have placed heavy stones on the backs of taxpayers.

So, when you have a chance to appeal your property taxes … don’t hesitate. Property taxes are incorrect 40-50% of the time. There are ways of looking at things that are not standardized by bureaucrats. Values are often derived erroneously or previous year’s errors rolled over. It pays to take a look.