# Barney Frank not running again **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 29, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399 "2011-11-29T01:27:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/61 "2011-12-08T16:08:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Taxes aren’t a free exchange of value, or there wouldn’t need to be laws compelling everyone to pay them. Which is why we don’t need shoplifting laws, either. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/62 "2011-12-08T21:45:49Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Taxes aren’t a free exchange of value, or there wouldn’t need to be laws compelling everyone to pay them. You may feel that way, but many don’t. > > If you believe most people pay their taxes voluntarily, then that is an argument in favor of reducing taxes to pay only for things like defense, and expecting everyone to donate the same amount to public charities and make up the difference. > > Regards, > Shodan Americans voluntarily choose to be members of a society with this aprticular combination of government services and taxes. This is not North Korea, you can leave the country and renounce your citizenship. You may not like every detail of the social contract you are buying into (but I bet noone else does either) but its the one you prefer over all the rest and at least you can try to change the terms of the contract though your vote. You can also choose to live somewhere with really low taxes where social services are dependent on public charities. People pay their taxes about as voluntarily as they pay the bill at the end of a meal. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/63 "2011-12-08T22:52:53Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Which is why we don’t need shoplifting laws, either. Congratulations on being the front runner in the Non Sequitur of the Month contest. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/64 "2011-12-08T23:03:57Z")
The brighter of us recognize it as brevity. But here’s some extra words for you, because I know you like them, Diana ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399/65 "2011-12-09T05:09:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Well, no, it means she’s done enough to convince the voters of her district that they should keep her in office even if she’s an embarrassment, and by the time you’ve been in Congress for 20 years, it’s not that hard to scare off challengers. I think boytyperanma was referring to her being elected by fellow Democrats in the House to her position on the Finance Committee. They are much more attuned to national politics than the voters of her district, and could easily choose another Democratic Congressperson instead of her, if they thought she was “an embarrassment”. But they haven’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-not-running-again/604399.md?page=3)