In times of economic difficulties, it's very common to revise our budget trying to find unnecessary expenses to eliminate. And if we are undergoing a specially precarious situation it could be understandable that we expressed our reluctance to pay for some services from which we are not going to have an immediate and direct benefit. But in my opinion, regardless our particular situation, we all should pay to ensure that all the basic services are available for whoever may need them.
Firstly, providing education for all the country benefits us all. This is quite obvious: with a highly formed citizenship we will be a more productive country, and so we will be able to export our products or services to other countries improving our economy.
In addition, a widespread health service will help reducing the incidence of most diseases, reducing thus the likelihood of us being affected (from a selfish point of view). This will also contribute to productiveness, considering the country as a whole, in the sense that a healthier and, therefore stronger, workforce will be inevitably able to produce more.
Besides, public security is essential in order to maintain a minimum standard of living for everyone. Without security forces taking care of us, criminal activities would be omnipresent; no one would be safe wherever they may be because crime would be so engrained everywhere that it would eventually reach everyone.
Admittedly, when we pay our taxes it's difficult to think about the value of what we are having in return, but that does not mean that what we are providing as a country is not valuable, perhaps it just indicates that more should be done to raise awareness of the importance of public services.
Summing up, public services are not just valuable but essential in order to maintain a minimum standard of living for everyone, because the well being of our neighbors is our own well being.
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