If taxes are what you pay for civilization, why is everyone so worked up about them?

Question

If you didn't pay taxes, you'd have no schools, roads, bridges, law enforcement, and healthcare in most countries, so why do you object to them so much? What you should be screaming about is the misuse of your taxes by incompetent and corrupt governments.

All social programs could be taken care of and you could have a well-educated population if so much money were not spent on war.

I thought it was the republicans who were wasting all that money on an illegal war and cutting funding for everything from education to health care.

Answer 1

Excellent statement, and I do believe most caring Americans do not mind paying taxes, it is as you said how they are spent is the issue.
The FY 2006 Defense portion is as below:
Total Funding $441.6 Billion.
Operations and maintenance $124.3 Bil.
Military Personnel $108.8 Bil.
Procurement $79.1 Bil.
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation $69.5 Bil.
Military Construction $12.2 Bil.
Department of Energy Defense Activities $17.0 Bil.

What bothers me is the almost 70 billion dollars for research,testing and development, That would pretty well take care of hunger and medical needs in this country.

Having worked for the Government a number of years I don't want to get started on the amount of waste that goes on, as no one would want to pay their taxes.

Answer 2

We do scream about the misuse of taxes and incompetents. We are called Republicans. The Democrats think the solution to everything is throwing money at it. I disagree with you in that all social programs should be taken care of. There is a lot to be said for personal growth and individual growth. You want socialism, then go somewhere else and pay for it. I want no part of it.

Answer 3

Too simplistic. Taxes are levied through laws. You can scream all you want about the government trying to put the laws in place, but they're there for the duration of their term, so you have to fight the laws individually. They must be argued on their merits, or lack thereof.

The other issues you mention are very real, but in place of one big solution that covers them all forever and ever, in the real world, you fight and win, or lose, one battle at a time. Society works toword just government and a well-educated populace at it's own pace. We only get what we deserve.

Answer 4

I think the problem is that people often feel they're paying more than their fair share, or their taxes are being used to pay for things that some taxpayers disagree with.

Although in the U.S. people can vote for their elected representatives, they usually can't vote directly for how their taxes are spent. This means they are sometimes spending money on things they don't believe in, and they have no control over it.

Answer 5

Absolutely agree about misuse of tax dollars. I wish both parties could understand this.

Still, I don't mind paying a minimum tax for roads, police, basics. But the 'better society' stuff: medicare, social security, prescription drugs (@#%$ Bush!) doesn't belong.

If you want to fund the poor, do it with your own money through private organizations.

Answer 6

You're right, it's the ABUSE and MISUSE of our tax dollars that upsets many of us.

Many of us resent the fact that the richer citizens receive tax breaks that the middle-class and lower classes do not!

Another abuse and misuse is the so-called "pork barrel" practices whereupon some well-known and powerful politicians funnel monies (which also translate into jobs) to their states for public works contracts that go to political cronies, while other needy/devastated states do not receive them (Louisiana is the prime example that comes to mind); some of these "pork barrel" projects are really so damned needless, like the bridged that would cost tens of millions of dollars, dubbed, "The Bridge to Nowhere," meant to be built from shore to a small island where about 80 residents live who are accustomed to using the local ferries and have never complained about the use of the ferry since it keeps outsiders away!

Another example, the monies that are funneled into the war effort for the purpose of enriching a few companies; I refer to the profiteering on the part of those companies that received contracts without so much as bidding (V.P. Cheney's cronies) that over-charge the government (imagine, $45 for a 6-pack of Pepsi for the enlisted personnel overseas)... I worked on a Naval Base for a time and I saw how they totally WASTED, and my complaints were replied to with: "Don't worry, the government's got plenty of money to waste," (taxpayers' money!)

Doesn't anyone see what the government is paying for? Doesn't anyone take account of these ridiculous charges? Isn't there any kind of accountability or scrutiny? What's going on? This goes on routinely on the Federal level, as well as the State and Local level and it's getting to the point where people are demanding answers to questions politicians are unwilling to answer...

Insofar as moneys that go into schools, roads, bridges, law enforcement and health care, etc., the waste is simply shameful. I have friends working in the Transit Authority, and they have told me how the Transit continues to buy and receive millions of dollars of equipment and machinery that has to be taken apart and rebuilt from scratch (by Transit employees, who are paid by the taxpayers) because the machines do NOT function! Or, for example, the bus window rims (metal frames that hold the glass windows in place), NYC pays $150 per window frame while other cities in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Connecticut pay $39-$59!

$1-million was paid to an outside consulting firm to do a survey and analysis to determine how much the fares should be; it was found that we should not be paying more than 80-cents, so why are we paying $2 to get on a bus? My buddy of 43 years saw this and wanted to make a copy to show me but was NOT allowed by HIS superiors since this survey/analysis was paid for by "their" funds and was not intended to be made public.

OR, how about the contracts with the City to repair our schools whereupon the same contractors continue to get contracts for 1-year repairs yet they stretch it for 2-3 years, while charging the City $8 for a 75-watt light bulb (from an 89-cent package of light bulbs they get even cheaper by buying wholesale), and $8 for a black garbage bag or the fact that is well-known that all of these contractors have non-existent workers on the payroll? Insofar as the education departments, they have such ridiculous rules and regulations where the inept, incompetent and even the malfeasant cannot be fired but must be kept on the books, receiving hefty pay for sitting around, reading magazines/newspapers year in and year out; positions do not go to the worthy and competent but to political cronies... or the fact that monies for teachers' class supplies seem to disappear every year...? And the same goes on at the level where several college/university presidents pay relatives yet these have never stepped on the campus... but the cheques are mailed to them at home (or to their bank accounts)?

A friend of mine, an attorney, tells me, "Why do you get upset? That's the way business has been conducted for over 100 years..." My reply to him was, "It still doesn't make it right!"

For the past several administrations (mayor, governor) the Republicans continue to turn a blind eye to what has been going on; letters to the Republican Mayor and the Republican Governor have never received an answer... and the corrupt and fummbling incompetent ones are those they appointed to these positions! Every time you turn around another damned department to oversee this or oversee that... at the most ridiculously high salaries for doing nothing but riding around in limos! (On the Federal level, remember Brown from FEMA???)

You're absolutely correct, all social programs could be taken care of and a well-educated population would result... and it CAN be done. What many of us resent and object to is the profiteering and wasteful shenanigans that go on every single day with out tax dollars... no wonder we pay such high taxes!

Answer 7

You truly are stupid. A majority of taxes are spent on entitlement programs. Less than 10% of the GNP is spent on Defense budgets. And another thing....without the military to PROTECT our country some terrorists would be here now throwing away your computer and internet, because NEWSFLASH they don't allow it, and they would execute everyone that is gay, then beat you senseless and throw a sheet (Burka) on you and tell you to get in the house and clean. NEWSFLASH Taliban-like terrorists and cultures don't allow women to go to school, drive cars, work, watch tv, or give their ignorant statements on the internet.

Answer 8

I dont really mind paying taxes, but we shoudl be able to keep them at a minmum if people would stop sticking out their hands all the time and we could cut school spending by billions by deporting all illegals

Answer 9

"What you should be screaming about is the misuse of your taxes by incompetent and corrupt governments."

Exactly. And raising taxes just gives the government the opprotunity to misuse more of our money

Answer 10

I'd rather my taxes went to beef up the military instead of giving it to lazy sloths who refuse to work and make their own way in this life. I have never sponged off anyone and I don't intend to. I wasn't raised that way. If we did not have a strong military that protects us from the savage at the gate, we would all be in a world of hurt. Headless!!!