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Maybe you've heard — and if you haven't it may be that you live under a rock — but it's an election year. We're about to the point of the season where I'll watch TV on a delay so that I can fast forward commercials from candidates lying and/or exaggerating about themselves and their opponents.

One issue that we'll all hear — no matter where we live — time and time again in the election cycle is taxes. Taxes are too high. How are our taxes being used? Taxes, taxes, taxes.

Here in North Dakota, . Entirely. Gone. No more property taxes.

That might sound good on the surface, but as someone in a very rural place, it terrifies me. Our township already struggles because little of the property tax allocations go to local needs; . Our local school board runs a tight ship financially, because there are no other options — there already isn't much money to go around. How do you think a township with a handful of families or a low-population school will fare when they have to beg the state government for money alongside political subdivisions with far more people? I'm not optimistic.

So, while no one likes to pay property taxes or any other taxes, I need to hear a plan for what will happen if we eliminate a certain tax or even greatly cut a certain tax. How are things going to change for the better for everyone?

If you're reading this column, there's a decent chance you're a farmer or rancher or somehow connected to a farm or ranch or agribusiness. Where do you think crop insurance subsidies and safety net payments come from? When the or happened, what provided the big emergency checks that kept your farm or ranch afloat? Taxes.

On a national level, we have a because no one likes taxes but no one wants to cut the things they like to see funded. That's a problem. Compromise has gone by the wayside, as has the idea that sometimes the belt needs to get tightened. And don't come at me with, "That's because Democrats ..." or, "That's because Republicans ..." because everyone is to blame in some way.

That includes voters and every one of us who has deposited a check from the government while complaining about taxes.

No one likes to pay taxes. But I don't think we'd like to go without affordable crop insurance. I don't think we'd like to pay out of pocket if we need a firetruck. I don't think we'd like to see our rural roads deteriorate even more.

Until there's a plan of what to do without the revenue for a given tax — and that plan better not be, "cut everything that doesn't personally affect me but don't cut things I care about" — please remember that you can't talk out of both sides of your mouth. You can't ask for better crop insurance while asking to cut your own income taxes. You can't want better roads but not want to pay property taxes.

We need to find a better way forward. But just cutting revenue without a plan — a real, workable plan, not one person's or party's pipe dream — is just going to cause more problems in the future.

We all need to pay more attention to how our taxes are spent, particularly if we think they should be cut. Maybe some can be or should be. But the issue needs serious people with serious solutions, willing to make hard choices that will help the greater good rather than just advocating for lightening their own tax bills.

This election season, I'm looking forward to fast forwarding every commercial that mentions cutting taxes without mentioning a solid plan forward.