The time has come,” the walrus said, “To talk of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.” This oft-quoted line was written more than 100 years ago by Lewis Carroll in “Through the Looking Glass.” It is humorous because there does not appear to be even the remotest relationship between the proposed topics of conversation. Take cabbages and kings, for example. It never made any sense why the walrus and the carpenter would want to discuss such different items in the same conversation. Today, it does not make any sense for the state to discuss cost-savings and its mandated consolidations in the same conversation.

A more honest conversation would be for the state to discuss their mandated consolidations along with its cost-shifting from the state to the counties and towns. There are no real cost savings or any reduction in taxpayer burden to be seen. The state, with much fanfare, is only putting a few nickels in the taxpayer’s left pocket, while quietly removing extra tax dollars out of his right pocket. In reality, the taxpayer will be paying more for the exact same services.

If a private company were to engage in false and misleading marketing, that company would be slapped silly by the truth-in-advertising laws. The state can engage in the exact same behavior and it is condoned and even expected. Yet, both are taking money out of the taxpayer’s pocket under false pretenses.

Most agree that the school administration costs were too expensive and that the state’s penal system required reform. However, instead of admitting blame and solving these problems, the state began its massive advertising campaign. The state’s desire was not only to transfer blame, but to also sell the school administration and county jail consolidations as great taxpayer savings. The advertising blitz worked.

The people were misled by the state’s mass-marketing campaigns and initially believed the school administration consolidation law would actually reduce their school taxes. But, the law turned out to be mostly unworkable and unrealistic, creating considerable havoc and grief between towns. Angrily, the public spoke up. Hurriedly, the state amended the law. Again with great advertising, the state announced it had healed the original law. However, this amendment failed to address the major evils in the law.

The county jail consolidation only covers up state failures in the administration of its penal system, while making off with the county jails. This law insists that not only must the counties continue to pay for their stolen jails; the law even shoves more state costs down for the counties to pay.

There are no taxpayer savings in either of the state’s big consolidation schemes. The concerted mass marketing campaign is honestly all smoke and mirrors. None of the costs has been reduced; they have only been shoved down to a lower level, so the state could take false credit for tax reduction.

One can’t blame the state for trying. After all, several years ago, the state successfully pulled off another big advertising blitz to announce a raise in the homestead exemption from $7,000 to $13,000. In truth, the state actually lowered the exemption by $500 and forced the towns to make up the difference. In reality, the taxpayer had to pay for his own raise.

A tax is a tax is a tax! It doesn’t matter whether it is a state tax or a county tax or a town tax. It is the total amount of tax that the taxpayer is concerned about. The state should stop using these scams and schemes such as gift cards to balance its bloated budget. The state needs to stop the games and forcing its expenses to lower levels. The state owes honest, truthful, and factual information to taxpayers, so the taxpayer can make an informed decision.

B. Wendell Routon is the 1st selectman in the Somerset County town of Embden.