View Full Version : That Time of Year Again!!
BMT (RIP)
01-17-2005, 07:14
April 15th is getting closer and closer. If you could decide how you tax money was spent:
1. Where would your money go.
2.Where wouldn't your money go.
BMT
Max Power
01-17-2005, 08:08
1 - Defense, LEOs, Intelligence, probably a few others that I can't think of right now
2 - Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, Arts, Education, etc. don't think the federal government needs to be involved in any of that. And since I don't pay state taxes...
Basically, boils down to my thoughts that federal government should focus more on external politics (US-rest of world) than on internal (state-state, federal-state, federal-direct to citizens, etc.). The internal should be the realm of the states themselves. Only time the federal government should get involved in internal politics is to resolve state-state conflicts and when absolutely necessary.
1. To me in the form of a full tax rebate.
2. Not to Air New Zealand when they fly Helen to Norway (AGAIN).
Does the state foot the bill for the public schools?
I watched the presidential debates and they talked about No Child Left Behind act, etc - making me a bit unsure of who pays for it. Of course, perhaps they share.
2 - Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, Arts, Education, etc. don't think the federal government needs to be involved in any of that.
Spoken as a young man with a job and with no children currently in school.
The Reaper
01-17-2005, 11:54
Does the state foot the bill for the public schools?
I watched the presidential debates and they talked about No Child Left Behind act, etc - making me a bit unsure of who pays for it. Of course, perhaps they share.
The Local, State, and Federal Governments all have a piece of the public school funding.
We are taxed by towns, counties, states, and the federal government to provide money for public educational programs.
The rub is the people who get the most benefits offered to them are the ones who pay little, if anything for those services.
TR
Max Power
01-17-2005, 12:08
Spoken as a young man with a job and with no children currently in school.
Young man I may be, but married and with a child (though not in school, 8 months right now). I have no problem giving money to state/local for education, its the federal government doing so that I have problems with.
1. Military/Intelligence/Homeland Defense/LEOs/Fire Departments.
2. Welfare.
bberkley
01-17-2005, 13:05
1. Military Pay/VA Benefits, Base/Facilities/Equipment Modernization, HUMINT
2. FEC, Welfare
Young man I may be, but married and with a child (though not in school, 8 months right now).
Yup, I know that, hence my 'not currently in school' comment. Come back in 6-8 years and we'll revist this idea of funding for public education. As for Social Security, are you aware that it not only provides retirement benefits, but also disability benefits? Let's say tomorrow you're driving home from work and are hit at a stoplight by an uninsured, drunk motorist. You sustain a severe spinal injury, instantly paralyzing you and ending your career. Now, because you're active duty, Uncle Sugar will pay your staggering medical bills for acute and rehabilitative care, but within a few months, you're medically separated. Now you're without a job, need regular assistance in daily living, and have an infant at home. MAV needs to get a compassionate release from AD to care for both you and your daughter. How are you going to pay the bills? How are you going to afford medical insurance, which you'll require to help pay the astronomical medical care and equipment costs you'll now have the rest of your life. You don't pay state taxes, so don't expect to get much help there, as you don't even contribute now while you can afford it. Are you going to let yourself become a burden on your or MAV's family? Sure, the VA will probably kick in eventually, but they're running about a year on adjudicating claims, so what are you going to do in the meantime? This is where you'll thank your lucky stars that wiser heads out there didn't follow your advice to stop funding Social Security and Medicare A & B, as you'll receive some money from them to help you get by for a little while, until you can tap into other sources of income, and be able to receive some medical coverage for you and your family until you find another means.
The reason I said 'young man' in my original post is that one benefit that comes from age and experience is the ability to see beyond one's own station in life and understand there are other situations out there that require other tools to survive.
uboat509
01-17-2005, 14:31
1. Education, Military, LEO, education, intelligence
2. "divursity" programs, NEA, any of the bloated tax-payer funded "think tanks", and I would like to see a reduction in the amount of money spent on NASA
SSG W
Jack Moroney (RIP)
01-17-2005, 15:17
It should go to fund those programs for which the budget was submitted. It should not go to all the riders attached to the various funding bills by congress folk to keep their constituents happy.
Jack Moroney
Kyobanim
01-17-2005, 15:57
and I would like to see a reduction in the amount of money spent on NASA
NASA's budget is 1 tenth of 1% of the welfare budget. NASA and military research is what gives us all the nice gadgets that we like to play with. NASA's puney budget gives us more bang for the buck than any other program operated by the government.
1. My toys.
2. Wife's junk.
BMT (RIP)
01-17-2005, 16:43
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/1/17/160452.shtml
What about a FLAT TAX?
BMT
Max Power
01-17-2005, 21:00
Yup, I know that, hence my 'not currently in school' comment.
...
The reason I said 'young man' in my original post is that one benefit that comes from age and experience is the ability to see beyond one's own station in life and understand there are other situations out there that require other tools to survive.
That wasn't meant as an insult to your intelligence or anything along those lines (if you happened to take it as such), I was not aware if you knew my situation (marriage, etc.). Apparently you do, lol.
Those are all very good points, and appreciated on my end. In a perfect world (which is kind of how I approached the questions) that is how I would have my taxes distributed.
Jack Moroney (RIP)
01-18-2005, 06:45
What about a FLAT TAX?
BMT
I like the idea of a flat tax.
Jack Moroney
Roguish Lawyer
01-18-2005, 12:05
Max Power and TR have the correct point of view. :)
I generally would like to keep my money rather than give it to the government. There are exceptions.
FLAT TAX...........Let's do it.
CPTAUSRET
01-18-2005, 13:30
FLAT TAX...........Let's do it.
I have been arguing for a flat tax for a long time now, I doubt that it will ever fly.
But it would be so simple to tax every individual, every corporation, at say 17%. PERIOD, all pay 17%.
Too simple, I guess.
Terry
1) health, education, and military (esp. unconventional)
2) the war on some drugs (sorry), contracts for halliburton (sorry), jails for non-violent offenders
cut the beaurocracy from health care. basic research spending is too large (NIH) compared to practical benefit. spend tax dollars on a center for cures rather than over-regulation (FDA). money for FDA for overseeing clinical research ONLY. restore doctor/patient relationship and let them decide on Tx.
Incentives for science and technology that put US back on the edge of global free trade including NASA and biotech.
HUMINT for military.
previous PS.com discussion of flat tax was pretty good:
http://professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1402