Your Tax Dollars at Work: May They Truly Rest in Peace

March 31, 2023
Normally, when folks invoke the expression, "Your tax dollars at work!" they do so with sarcasm and suspicion. It's a way of summing up disgust at government inefficiency, taxes, or fees. 
 
To be sure, there is some inefficiency in government. But every day, your tax dollars, and the fees you are sometimes required to pay, help government protect and educate the public (the two main purposes of state government, as granted to states by our Federalist system). And sometimes, government works wonders with your money.
 
The problem is, often these little wonders are run by anonymous state workers in agencies with an alphabet soup of acronyms. It's sometimes hard to connect the dots from their work to our lives. 
 
So, over the next few months, I'll be sharing, in these "e-blasts," some of the more interesting examples of where your money goes. The programs and projects funded by taxes and fees may not always make headlines. They may not always be lifesaving. But they do make a difference in the quality of life here in our district and throughout the state.  

Restoring neglected cemeteries

 
The first example is restoration of neglected cemeteries. This week, Gov. Lamont announced that Haddam is one of 41 towns that will receive funds for "the basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing the ground’s fences or walls; and straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones."
 
Two of Haddam's historic cemeteries will receive a total of $5,000. Congratulations to First Selectman Bob McGarry and the Higganum Cemetery Association, for securing these funds to improve New Ponsett/Ponsett East (founded in 1828), and Burr District Cemetery (1820).
 
Where does the money come from? The program, established in 2014, is funded by revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health from the issuance of death certificates. The funds are being released under the state’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. (Like I said, alphabet soup!)
 
While I applaud volunteers of every kind, we should not rely on volunteers to do what government can do. Here's an example of a cooperative venture - repairing local, historic cemeteries is just one small, but meaningful, example of your tax dollars at work.
 
Watch for another example coming soon...