Column: The real value of SPLOST Mandy Power For the Dawson County News I have always heard the saying, growing up is hard to do. As a child, I remember thinking about how I could not wait to be an adult. But no one ever told me the dreaded truth of adulthood came with paying taxes. In a very divided world, one thing in common is we all pay taxes. Whether you are a business owner, a retiree, a young parent – everyone is taxed in one way or another. It is certainly arguable what level of taxation is appropriate and if the benefits we receive in services are equivalent to the amount we pay in, but I will leave that debate to the lawmakers.