It appears that about 16.5% of my weekly earnings go into taxes. Now that I've looked into it, that seems like a lot over the course of a year. Why do we have to get taxed so much?
2007-03-20 07:51:44 · 12 answers · asked by Fiesty Redhead 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Well, let's see...
Are you safe in your home from foreign invaders? Are you regularly robbed or mugged? You pay taxes for national defense and for police and fire protection.
Are your parents dying in the street? Do they have to beg to get health care? You pay taxes for Medicare and Social Security, which have had teh effect of practically ending elderly poverty and making the quality of life of retirees much better.
Did you drive somewhere today? Your taxes go to building roads and public infrastructure. Did you take the bus? Your taxes subsidize that.
Did you go to public school? Taxes pay for education for everyone and subsidize public education for college. Did you use an invention or a drug today? Taxes fund research for tools and innovations at universities that might otherwise not get funded.
Have you ever gone to a museum, or heard a classical music concert? Taxes help fund the arts to ensure that we're a well rounded society.
Are people starving in the streets by the millions? Taxes go to help those who have lost their jobs for reasons beyond their control, to prevent children from starving (both in "welfare" and in positive programs like free school lunches and the negative tax -- the Earned Income Credit")
Have you ever been to a public library? Or park? Or community center? You guessed it.
We expect our government to do a lot, and rightly so, because there are a lot of things that we can do much better collectively than as individuals, and a lot of things that the market simply cannot do efficiently (or would choose not to do). When Katrina leveled New Orleans, was there any question that the government had a responsibility to help those people, regardless of the cost? You heard very few saying "those poor people knew they lived below sea level and made an economic choice; it's time that they endured the consequences of that economic choice." NO! We expect our government to help those in crisis. We expect our government to help educate the populace so that we're ready for the workforce and good citizens. We expect our government to keep us safe. We expect our government to motivate the economic engines of the country -- when a recession hits, do we ever hear "well, ride it out; that's what you get for living in a market economy; hope you don't go bankrupt." NO! We expect our government to take positive action to correct the recession and get us on positive economic growth (although we may disagree about how that action is taken).
You're given much in this country - a safe stable economy with good infrastructure and freedom to make your own economic and social decisions. The least you can do it put in your "buck o' five" to the country that gives so much.
2007-03-20 08:55:15 · answer #1 · answered by Perdendosi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just wait until you hit the 45 to 50% bracket (federal, state and local combined)!
Defense, interest on the debt, and Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid are the three biggest portions of the federal budget - I'm not sure in what order. States and cities also usually have income, property and sales taxes, to pay for services - police, highways, hospitals, schools, trash pick-up, you name it.
Here's a chart which seems to have a handle on the federal budget:
http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/factfiles_detail.cfm?issue_type=federal_budget&list=8
"Welfare" is a pretty small percentage, actually. But again try to find a similar "pie chart" for your state.
We need to spend for government, but we should get better value for our money!!!
2007-03-20 08:15:03 · answer #2 · answered by American citizen and taxpayer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So the government can keep getting paid and keep wasting your money. Check out some of your utility bills and phone bills. They contain a whole bunch more 'hidden' taxes. Didn't we have a revolution about 230 years ago because taxes were to high?
2007-03-20 07:57:33 · answer #3 · answered by bugs280 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Also consider that you pay sales taxes so your earnings are getting hit at least twice. It is to pay for no loads, pork projects, illegal immigrants, and a few people who really deserve it.
2007-03-20 07:56:53 · answer #4 · answered by joevette 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Keep the tax cuts permanent.
To do this we must elect more conservatives.
Liberals will get you many more taxes especially with Hitlery care.
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2007-03-20 07:55:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
So liberal Democrats can fund their social programs. They believe in redistribution of wealth. They want to take money from the masses and redistribute that wealth in a mannor of their choosing. It is nothing more than the early stages of communism.
2007-03-20 07:55:05 · answer #6 · answered by Frednok 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You don't pay very much in taxes!!!! 16.5% isn't SQUAT. I pay 42% of my earnings each year in taxes....
2007-03-20 08:06:46 · answer #7 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
THATS PRETTY HIGH, DID YOU FILL OUT YOUR W9 AS SINGLE ZERO DEPENDENTS. THAT WOULD PUT YOU IN THE HIGHER TAX BRACKET. WE GET TAXED SO MUCH BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOT OF THINGS TO PAY FOR. WELFARE, MEDICAID AND ALL THE LAZY PEOPLE THAT REFUSE TO WORK.
2007-03-20 08:22:57 · answer #8 · answered by strike_eagle29 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ask the Democrats, they keep raising them to pay for their social programs, and other nonsense.
2007-03-20 07:59:24 · answer #9 · answered by Sane 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To pay for the war.
2007-03-20 07:56:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋