Do you think that you get good value for what you pay in taxes? (health care, military)
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Last year, my husband and I (ages 60 and 63, with both of us still working and in good health) paid more than $20,000 in combined taxes (income, property, and sales). For that we received fire and police protection, justice administration and enforcement, (mostly) good roads, culture and recreation (even though we still had to pay admission fees in many cases), and safety regulations (FDA, EPA, OSHA, etc.), but I cannot think of anything else our taxes paid for that directly benefited us.
Of course, one can say that everyone benefits from national defense, providing medical care to those who can't afford it, ensuring that every child is fed and educated, etc. -- but I am wondering if those of you who paid thousands of dollars for things that you personally don't use or want resent it, or if you don't mind paying so much for the common good?
To be clear, the question is NOT whether taxes are necessary or whether people should determine where their individual taxes go -- although that would be nice, it would also be very cumbersome and probably not practicable -- but just whether or not you think taxes are actually a good value for what you get.
(Btw, my personal view is NO, but that is mostly because of very high administrative costs, an extremely high military and defense budget, and government inefficiency.)
I live in a civil society (at least I think we can still be considered a civil society) so yes, I believe I receive great value in services for the taxes I pay.
Of course I disagree with where my money is spent in some areas as much as the next guy. cough Defense cough.
No, for the reasons you mentioned, and the general fact that there's much less incentive to provide value from the government's perspective. A company needs to compete for your money, while the government can just take it.
My tax rate is 33%, and although it's lower than what might be typical throughout European countries (where it'd likely be around 40%), I don't think we get jack for our taxes compared to other developed countries.
No universal healthcare, no government paid parental leave, no affordable four year university for all, relatively little investment in green energy, little affordable mental health care, etc.
It's fine if we don't have these things, but at least let me not have to pay so much in taxes if that's the case.
Taxpayers in the States have the worst of both worlds.
Everything does not come down to how it personally benefits us. There are things healthy societies do because it benefits the common good. There are plenty of examples of societies where the few get it all and the rest get almost nothing. Most of them are tiny pockets of wealth surrounded by an abundance of hellholes.
While I do not want my taxes paying for corporate welfare or benefiting only those who have more than that they could ever need in 100 lifetimes, I am fine with supporting programs that benefit the less fortunate as I see that as benefiting our country.
No.... but I would rather have expensive roads than no roads. There is too much waste and middle men in our system.
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