I LIVE a retired life on a quiet street in a middle-class neighbourhood in a small city in Texas. The garbage in our neighborhood is picked up twice a week. Last Thursday, I was surprised to see that the garbage truck crew had not picked up my garbage bags even though they had picked up the garbage bags from every other house on the street. This was both annoying and embarrassing because everyone passing by would notice.

I immediately called the garbage collection company and was told that they had not received my monthly payment. I confirmed this missed payment online from my bank account, called back and paid the fine and amount due. Next, Monday like clockwork the service was back on.

My friends in Pakistan keep complaining about education, health, sanitation, water, electricity, security and all other services lacking in the country as compared to the West. They blame each successive government for failing to provide these basic services. But should we be blaming the government?

What Pakistanis do not factor in their demands of the government is that every Western resident has to pay for each and every service provided. One missed payment and your water or electricity or telephone / internet service will be immediately cut. Well, some companies may send a reminder or let you go a month but many will take immediate action.

The high school education provided to all children is not free in the US. For the last 35 years, every month I have paid school tax and like any other US resident will continue to do so until death. No sir, nothing in the world is free.

As Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789 to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, “our new constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan intends to transfer power to the grass-root level by strengthening the local government system. We need to follow the Western model of ‘pay as you go’ if we want provision of good services and taming of the ballooning deficits.

M. Tariq Raja

Katy, Texas, USA

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018