What do Federal taxes pay for? Why should you care?

[Memphis1979]

Originally Posted by evilnewbie

I cannot find any logic that it would completely solve the social security if removed from the general fund... Although I am in 100% agreement that it should be removed but to claim that it is self-sufficient is laughable... anytime it is MANDATORY and voluntary means only one thing, it is not self-sufficient otherwise a lot of people would of bailed out cause they knew it would eventually steal more and give out less...

About the Social Security trust fund - NYTimes.com

Interesting read.

Even Reagan understood that if social security was to survive, it had to be in its own trust fund. That trust fund is kept in government bonds, but instead what has happened is that over time, Congress took that money out of the "trust fund" status, and simply put it in the general fund. Bonds have to pay back more than were paid in, the current structure doesn't do that. If it were put back to the trust fund portion, then the government would have a massive budgetary shortfall, roughly 200 billion dollars, that it would have to make up for from having to pay back the newly purchased bonds.

[Ultralight]

Originally Posted by 70Ford

According to the U.S. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the United States federal government collects $2.5 trillion in taxes each year. This money is primarily used to finance programs that help defend, educate, financially support, care for, transport and/or perform other similar functions for individuals living within the United States.

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All those little people, making money for the big people. Gotta have a safe & happy hive for the worker ants to feed and care for the Queen.....
I'd imagine most, if not all of us that post on this board fall into that support category. So, the benefits for paying taxes are pretty enormous.

People take things for granted until it disappears. Social Security and Medicare are ~ 40 percent of every year's budget. OH! OBAMA SOCIALISM BAD!!! "Except he didn't create those socialistic programs. Imagine the outcry if he tried to totally abolish them. Imagine how much more of your own money wuld be used to take care of your parents...and grandparents...and kids.

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1258

Defense and security: In 2010, some 20 percent of the budget, or $715 billion, will pay for defense and security-related international activities. The bulk of the spending in this category reflects the underlying costs of the Department of Defense and other security-related activities. The total also includes the cost of supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is expected to total $172 billion in 2010.
Social Security: Another 20 percent of the budget, or $708 billion, will pay for Social Security, which provided retirement benefits averaging $1,117 per month to 36 million retired workers (and their eligible dependents) in December 2009. Social Security also provided survivors’ benefits to 6.4 million surviving children and spouses of deceased workers and disability benefits to 9.7 million disabled workers and their eligible dependents in December 2009.
Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP: Three health insurance programs — Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — will together account for 21 percent of the budget in 2010, or $753 billion. Nearly two-thirds of this amount, or$468 billion, will go to Medicare, which provides health coverage to around 46 million people who are over the age of 65 or have disabilities. The remainder of this category funds Medicaid and CHIP, which in a typical month in 2010 will provide health care or long-term care to about 64 million low-income children, parents, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Both Medicaid and CHIP require matching payments from the states.

The population of the United states is a little over 300 million people.

Think about that the next time you see a thread that says that "everyone hates taxes." No, because without them, those millions in BOLD above couldn't survive. If you ever see a thread called "everyone doesn't understand what taxes are used for" then that would be more believable.

Federal income tax is the lowest it been since the 1950 the large majority of taxes that americans pay are made upp of payroll taxes sales taxes exicise taxes and state income taxes.

[aspiesmom]

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Memphis1979]

Originally Posted by aspiesmom

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Combine that with the speech of the military industrial complex, one of our best Presidents ever.