Concerned Taxpayers of Windsor, CT, USA

	"Total tax collections in the U.S. are expected to be $2,667,000,000,000 in 1998. This represents 35.4% of the country's total income. In comparison, medieval serfs paid an effective tax rate of 33.3 percent." (Source: Just Facts)

"Total tax collections in the U.S. are expected to be $2,667,000,000,000 in 1998. This represents 35.4% of the country's total income. In comparison, medieval serfs paid an effective tax rate of 33.3 percent." (Source: Just Facts)

Concerned Taxpayers Of Windsor - Myths About Our Organization

Dedicated to the wise use of local tax dollars

Many myths have been spread about CTW. This page summarizes them and our responses to them:

CTW hates children - No, actually, many CTW members are parents and grandparents.

CTW hates teachers - No, CTW members typically oppose the public employee unions. Those unions insist on continually rising pay rates, attack those who advocate any form of connection between pay and performance (the norm in the private sector), and turn out in force to clamor against anyone who suggests the results to date indicate substandard performance. Because the unions hold a monopoly on work in the areas they have "organized", they represent the greatest impediment to performance improvement and cost reduction. CTW members realize that many teachers work hard and try to do their best by the children they teach. However, they also realize that the incentives in the government schools are not those which reward the best performance, but those which benefit those who stay the longest, and that this is not in the best interest of the teaching profession, or the students.

CTW wants to destroy the "quality of life" - CTW members believe that quality of life is something which individuals and families attain for themselves, and that one of the important factors in attaining a high quality of life is retaining one's income so that it can be used to provide good homes, good food, quality entertainment, and a sense of security.

CTW is a bunch of old people who don't want anyone to have anything - CTW members come from all walks of life, and are of all ages. CTW members are united in their belief that government is not the provider of goods, but that individuals are.

CTW members "throw grenades" and are not constructive in their participation in the political process - Most of our opponents define "constructive" as agreeing with their proposals, or at least not speaking out against them. The slightest hint of opposition leads to hysterical comments on their part in public, private and in the press. CTW members define constructive participation as providing the other side to the debate about government spending. Most elected officials are quickly co-opted by the establishments they are supposed to supervise, and their ability to resist spending requests and to question new proposals seems to diminish proportionally in relation to the time they have spent in office. We serve to remind them that there is another perspective.