SOME WORDS ARE DOWNRIGHT EXPENSIVE

Words make a world of difference in how we perceive issues, policies and programs, and the way in which the public views the meanings of certain words is a significant factor in how they are accepted. For example, when public officials use the word "revenue," the connotation it carries is positive, since the public most often perceives the word to mean funding for increased services as well as the means of avoiding deficit spending and public debt. A government that has revenue is capable of performing the kinds of services the public wants to receive. An alternative word is "taxation," which in essence means the same thing but which carries a far different, much more negative image. It is little wonder that our elected politicians long ago gave up calling for higher taxes and began speaking of the need for revenue enhancement.