Governments are quick learners in the art of raising revenue—taxes, fees, duties, even the quiet tax of inflation. Once the habit forms, it rarely retreats on its own. New reasons appear, new programs arise, and the public purse becomes the first resort.

The warning is timeless: be watchful of how easily many small extractions become a heavy burden. Prosperity needs room to breathe, and that means guarding the pockets—and the choices—of everyday people.