Originally published in the Grand Rapids Business Journal, April 12, 2004.

In drawing editorial cartoons, the idea is to simplify as much as possible -- to try to make a point with the fewest words and visual clues. And sometimes I think this causes the message to become a little sound-bitey: "people good, business bad; citizens good, government bad." That sort of thing. The unintentional consequence of this is certain comics coming across as campaign messages, and I get emails accusing me of falling into a political ideology.

The truth is I don't think editorial cartooning should have anything to do with advancing a political philosophy. It's all about pointing out the ironies and hypocrisies of us and our institutions in the hopes of evoking a thought, a reaction or, at the very least, amusement. I think it's counter-productive to let towing a supposed liberal or conservative line drag that down.

On the other hand, I don't think editorial cartooning should have anything to do with being fair and balanced (in the true sense of the phrase, not the Fox sense). Editorial comics work best when they're exaggerated and unfair. Anyway, I have a hard time being even-steven because where most people see sides, I see similarities.

Such is the case with this week's comic. It may seem sometimes that I try to position myself on a populist high-ground, poking big corporation with a stick to delight of the common folk. But when it comes right down to it, I don't like paying taxes either. It's my money. I earned it, and given the choice, I'd like to spend it as I please.

A few years ago, I was let go by a company but was given a nice severance and quickly found new employment, which spiked my income into a higher tax bracket for that year. I never felt so Republican in all my life!

In conclusion (which is what writers write when they can't find any point within what they've already written on which to summarize), I have not now nor ever been a member of the Communist Party, but I did once go to a communist party where they served potato salad.