While I tend to agree with you that a government does have its place, and there has to be some sort of tax(es) to pay for it, I would note that when I was growing up on Long Island about 20 miles east of Manhattan, we had all those things you mention. (except the 911 system, but we did have garbage collection, snow plowing, water, &c.) But back then I would guess that property taxes were a much lower percentage of a family's annual expenditures and there were no sales taxes at all. Now on LI, it's 8% or more. Income tax did exist then but at rates probably a fifth of what they are today. The old woman in question probably wouldn't have had to pretend to work someplace for three quarters of the year (Do the math: 12000/7) in order that she could remain in her house.
ML/NJ
I agree with you 100%. But then the problem is the $12,000 per year property taxes, not the woman’s insufficient income. Good luck getting anyone in that town — or in the media who are covering this story — to do an in-depth story expsosing the “tax” side of the equation as the real problem here.
P.S. I don’t know how old you are, but when I was a kid (not that long ago) it was very rare in my circles for elderly people to live alone like this. Most of my friends who had surviving grandparents had those grandparents living in their home with them.