Folks on the Left have been trying to make “freedom” mean positive liberty or positive freedom:
the pursuit of liberty understood as self-realization or as self-determination (whether of the individual or of the collectivity) [which] can require state intervention of a kind not normally allowed by [classical] liberals.
Gov. Deval Patrick and the Boston Globe have taken this to an extreme and challenged the very idea of tax freedom:
Governor Deval Patrick’s administration is preparing a push to give Massachusetts cities and towns more freedom to raise taxes and fees
The Globe continues:
a new report suggests Boston will lose talent and businesses to other similarly-sized cities because it is hamstrung by state constraints.
It’s all there – higher taxes lead to growth; freedom means bigger government; and everything depends on the state’s blessing. I haven’t heard the billion-dollar tax hikers talk about giving counties more freedom yet, but expect to soon.
