In Cobb County, it's that time of the decade again. Time for a renewal vote of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).

Allow me to sum-up my feelings on this vote: I am completely against the SPLOST, but not necessarily for the typical reasons that Republicans should be against this tax (like being against any and all tax hikes for the simple reason that I am a Republican).

The SPLOST is being billed as THE panacea for financing the education of all the children of Cobb County parents. The pro-SPLOST group is called United For Kids and the anti-SPLOST group is called Cobb Citizens.

So, of course, the position of the pro- folks is that this is all about the "children." The Cobb Chamber of Commerce is also backing the SPLOST in order to ensure that Cobb County continues to "educate the children now and in the future."

To all of these pro-SPLOST people, I ask this: Tell me in what section of the U.S. Constitution does it state that those of us who do not have kids should be required to subsidize your choice to have and raise kids? No one put a gun to your head and forced you to have sex and produce your offspring. Therefore, you should be the one who is held completely responsible for the financial burdens of raising children. And, that includes educating them.

If you've chosen to have kids, I have nothing personal against you or your children. But, I honestly don't care about supporting the welfare of those Cobb Countians who have chosen to bear and raise children. And, that is exactly what the pitch for the renewal of the SPLOST is all about. It is a transfer of wealth of which I, and many people like me, could do more with than either the irresponsible Skule Bord (any of you folks seen a $57 million high school around here?) or the Kowntee Guvment can do with it.

You parents are the ones who get all of the tax breaks when it comes to deductions. Every year I hear from Congress how "pro-family" we, as a society, need to be. What this ends-up really meaning is that tax breaks for the parents means tax increases for us non-offspring individuals. And, I'm getting fed-up with being responsible for other people's choices in life.

If there is any Republican in favor of the SPLOST, then please, you can stop calling yourself a Republican, and just be honest and call yourself a Socialist. Because, that is what socialism is all about. Everyone pays for everyone else's choices in life.

I see no reason why I should be forced to pay for someone else's personal choices. In case you haven't figured it out, Vote NO on the Cobb County SPLOST. Do it for all of the RIGHT reasons.