That’s not surprising given the proliferation of corporate and ideological news sources obsessively focused on taxes, and whether somebody somewhere is going to raise them. The only other government coverage they offer is when something goes wrong.

So with government-bashing replacing baseball as post-Reagan America’s national pastime, it should come as no surprise that some people know only this about the 2005 legislative session: taxes were raised.

Not the biggies like property, sales or business taxes. But yes, it just got a little more expensive to buy gasoline, cigarettes, liquor, and to die with more than $2 million in the bank.

Except for the gas tax, many of us are not affected much. Only 250 or so families will have to deal with the estate tax each year (merely restored after some activist judge repealed it this year). And speaking of dying, fewer than 20 percent of us smoke. As for the gas tax, by the time it is fully phased in (July 2008), a typical driver will pay about $5 more a month.

But that’s not the point! Taxes were raised! By politicians!

It’s time to change the conversation and ask, "What am I getting for my tax investment?"

In the case of the gas tax, for the price of some popcorn at a monthly movie, we get a lot more than just 270 necessary highway, bridge, intersection and ferry system projects (see the list). Lives will be saved, thousands of family-wage jobs will be created, our state economy will improve, and our children will reap the same dividends we enjoyed when previous generations invested in our transportation system.

What did you government-haters get the last time OPEC jacked the price of oil? Just the peace of mind that President Bush’s hand-holdin’ chums in Saudi Arabia can afford a new Airbus jet for their entourage.

Union members understand better than most that paying your dues is more than just a metaphor. It is a real investment in your job, in your family, and in your community. It is a duty.

Taxes are the dues we pay to live in a civilized, safe society. No, we don’t have to enjoy paying them, and not all tax increases are worth what they buy. But fair and reasonable taxes are necessary. Like anything else, when it comes to quality public services, you get what you pay for.

We veterans like to remind people that we fought to protect Americans’ rights, including for those who vocally oppose U.S. military actions.

We taxpayers have a duty to invest in our nation and in our state. All of you incessant tax complainers out there, remember that the rest of us are devoting a chunk of our paychecks to pay for the road you’re driving on, the Internet you’re blogging on, and the public airwaves you’re ranting on.

As Republican Rep. Fred Jarrett told a reporter (in a moment of clarity he probably now regrets): "I think we as Republicans have staked out our no-new-taxes mantra for so long, we’ve forgotten there’s a reason for government and a reason for taxes."