A great man named Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once said “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.” But is this really true? Is society truly only moved by money? Today we are faced with a recession that is actually a depression. But is raising taxes the answer to advance and evolve society? To advance society we need to solicit funds from the citizens that society serves and then use those funds to increase the quality of the students and prepare them for post secondary education. Once they finish college those students will in turn create the innovations and the technology of the future and place the United States as the world leader in innovations and most college graduates.


The definition of the word goal “is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed” in this case making college more affordable is a sub goal which will contribute to the main goal which is the recovery of the economy and the advancement of society. Education is something that gains value over time and increasing the amount of money that is set aside for education is not expenditure but rather an investment. If you increase the affordability of college you increase the number of graduates and those graduates will then be the ones who will create the technology of tomorrow. The government intends to use non profit organizations to serve as lenders to students seeking a loan as well as increasing the value of the Pell grant which is now valued at 5,321 dollars.


John F. Kennedy once said “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” There are those that would not like to see the amount of money that these investments will cost and that the first thing that comes to mind is an increase in taxes. But the increase in taxes is only a small stepping stone because an increase in college graduates means that there will be new innovations and with those new innovations there are new jobs, which are always appreciated in a struggling economy. But how are we going to have more college graduates? We need to reform the school system to focus on teaching students skills that will help them excel in the real world and not just in state testing. Students will rise to the level of expectations and this is why we need to raise the expectations.



Change takes time, and as a senior in high school I may not see all the reforms that will happen in public schools. I will however see all the extra money that is available to students interested in seeking post secondary education. As the opportunity to attend college increases due to the increase in funds available more and more people will choose to attend post secondary education and the success rate of the main goal of the government will increase drastically. Life will without a doubt will be changed forever even for those who choose not to go to college. With new innovations come new equipment, new energy and overall a higher quality of life and people will need to assimilate with this new technology.



To advance and evolve society we need to solicit funds through taxes. That is the price we pay for a civilized society. We as Americans must be the change we want to see in the world. As a world power we must serve as an example for the rest of the world. As it can be seen we are not only dependent on each other but we are an essential part of a complex system that helps the global economy. It’s clearly evident that to increase the number of college graduates will benefit everyone and it relates to the quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. because it shows that to achieve the goal we need to raise taxes.


While there are many who oppose the raise of taxes and say that they are squandered unjustly by those with the decision making ability. For example a article published on About.com stated “Want a raise? Don't beg to your boss. Just vote yourself one. That's what the United States Congress just did. For the fifth year in a row, lawmakers voted not to reject their automatic "cost of living" raise that will increase the annual salary of members by $3,400 to a total of $158,103 per year. In 1989, Congress passed an amendment allowing for the automatic raises, unless lawmakers specifically voted to reject it, which Congress did, until 2000.The fiscal year 2004 Transportation and Treasury Department Appropriations bill included Congress' 2.2 percent pay raise, along with a 4.1 percent raise for federal workers and military personnel.”


While I do see the validity in their point I would much rather live in a society that valued the role that these congressmen and women play in our country. For these appealing jobs are sure to attract the most intelligent and well able people to them.


The government holds an amazing ability to influence our everyday lifestyle and an easier access to post-secondary education would act as a stimulant to our economy isn’t it time we gave out a stimulus that wasn’t just cash? For a civilized society we need to raise taxes. If we increase taxes then we can invest in the best investment possible: education.