"Smaller Government" means you have to pay for stuff

The CASKA (Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association) Yahoo Group has been hosting a debate about proposed fee increases for the Illinois Dept of Natural Resources.  Like many government agencies in the state, IDNR's budget has been slashed.  And--guess what--they can't keep doing everything they were doing without more revenue.  Apparently, there's a limit to how much "waste" we can cut.

The proposal put forth by IL Rep Frank Mautino (D) would remove kayak/canoe registration fees, and replace them with an annual "Paddle Pass" that would be required for paddling on state waterways.  This switch from registration to use-fee seems logical to me. Registering my self-powered "vehicle" seems silly.  It's like registering a bicycle.

But of course, there's a fair amount of grumbling from folks who don't like to pay for anything.  One CASKA member called this yet another way that 'suck me dry' Illinois makes him miserable.  And in my head I hear Amy Poehler reply, "Really?" 

All too often, the same people who are convinced that taxes are too high, that the government is too big, and that All Waste should be rooted out and removed, are those who want government services for free.  If we make Big Government smaller and smaller, that means you will have to actually pay for stuff.  Anything that could otherwise be treated as a public good is instead turned into fee-for-access, and if you can't pay, you can't play.  This is exactly the sort of outcome that the 'suck me dry' rhetoric yields.

This shift is a particular social problem in terms of equity (those who can't afford it cannot get access) and limited positive externalities (when your consumption of a good benefits me).  Using more "government" for education, health care, and natural resources helps to ensure fair access and provides externality benefits.  IL residents who get better education are more civic-minded and less likely to commit crimes -- that's obviously good for me.  And I believe that greater access to natural areas makes a person care more about those natural areas.  That's good for me too, b/c it's likely to coincide with public support for better water and air quality, which keeps me healthier.

So maybe it behooves us to consider how far we want to let this 'suck me dry' rhetoric take us.  It'll get much worse than having to find a few more dollars to buy an annual paddle pass.