Welcome to Washington. Now pay up.

Newcomers to the Washington area often complain about local voters' seemingly infinite tolerance for our special combination of high taxes and terrible to nonexistent public services. It seems obvious to me why local voters tolerate this combination.

In the cult of the omnipotent state, this area is the Vatican. While NIMBY neighborhood activists may fight to the death over specific public projects, we believe overall that big government is its own reward. The money all goes to a good cause; after all, a good cause is whatever local politicians assure us that it is.