Comments on: A Memorial Day Thanks http://www.taxgirl.com/a-memorial-day-thanks/ Paying taxes is painful... but reading about them shouldn't be. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:34:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: J G http://www.taxgirl.com/a-memorial-day-thanks/comment-page-1/#comment-10487 J G Tue, 26 May 2009 15:06:19 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/?p=3403#comment-10487 Re: JBruce comment. Your premise assumes that the services a state gets from the Feds are valued at more than the state sends to the Feds. If this is true some other states are getting short changed because it can't be true for all states. If false the state is better off keeping its money and providing the services for itself. On top of this there is a certain amount of "overhead" at the federal level that assures that the total amount of money sent to the states will be less than the total amount received from the states; the difference being left in DC. Yes, some things need to be done at the federal level like a federal court system and national defense, but the decisions on which highways, bicycle paths and local amenities to build are much better left to the states or the locals. Re: JBruce comment.

Your premise assumes that the services a state gets from the Feds are valued at more than the state sends to the Feds.

If this is true some other states are getting short changed because it can’t be true for all states. If false the state is better off keeping its money and providing the services for itself. On top of this there is a certain amount of “overhead” at the federal level that assures that the total amount of money sent to the states will be less than the total amount received from the states; the difference being left in DC.

Yes, some things need to be done at the federal level like a federal court system and national defense, but the decisions on which highways, bicycle paths and local amenities to build are much better left to the states or the locals.

]]> By: Mark Jabo http://www.taxgirl.com/a-memorial-day-thanks/comment-page-1/#comment-10486 Mark Jabo Tue, 26 May 2009 13:17:41 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/?p=3403#comment-10486 JB, I share your fantasy. And I would move to that fantasy state in a second where private businesses would perform most of the functions you've cited at a fraction of the cost and way more efficiently. I'd be free to take care of my own retirement and not have to subsidize someone else's; I'd watch as medical care and advancements far outstripped places where mandatory government rules and regulations shackled the very people I was counting on to save my life; and I'd gladly pay state taxes to cover <em>proper</em> functions of government such as a police force and a judicial system. Sure, it won't happen ... but we can dream, can't we? JB, I share your fantasy.

And I would move to that fantasy state in a second where private businesses would perform most of the functions you’ve cited at a fraction of the cost and way more efficiently.

I’d be free to take care of my own retirement and not have to subsidize someone else’s; I’d watch as medical care and advancements far outstripped places where mandatory government rules and regulations shackled the very people I was counting on to save my life; and I’d gladly pay state taxes to cover proper functions of government such as a police force and a judicial system.

Sure, it won’t happen … but we can dream, can’t we?

]]> By: JBruce http://www.taxgirl.com/a-memorial-day-thanks/comment-page-1/#comment-10485 JBruce Tue, 26 May 2009 06:53:47 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/?p=3403#comment-10485 Like I've said before: tax $ doesn't go down a black hole never to be seen or heard from again. The taxes you've paid are all around you: the roads you travel on, the cops catching the bad guy, the satellites that provide GPS and long-distance calling to any phone in the world . . . Sure, some of our taxes go to pay for things we don't want, or don't think government should pay for. But a lot goes for stuff you may take for granted or, at least, you expect and want government to pay for. I have this occasional fantasy about a Senator railing away against tax-and-spend. Okay, says the Prez and the Budget Office. No one in your state will pay any more Federal taxes. And you don't get any Federal dollars, either. No money for schools, medicaid, medicare, social security for your elderly, housing for your poor; no money for roads or block grants. We'll close the Federal courts in your state, and your citizens can't file appeals with them or with the Supreme Court. We'll close the Post Offices in your state. Your telephones can't use our communication satellites or any of our GPS satellites. We won't check your chicken for salmonella. Your Senators and Representatives will have to pay their own way. If the CIA hears of a plot to crash a plane into your downtown, or poison its water supply, we'll just trash the information without telling you. You can't call on the FBI. We'll close that big air force base and move it to Pennsylvania. We'll move the CDC out of Georgia, or the Federal reserve bank out of St Louis, and we'll close Area 51. How about them apples? Like I’ve said before: tax $ doesn’t go down a black hole never to be seen or heard from again. The taxes you’ve paid are all around you: the roads you travel on, the cops catching the bad guy, the satellites that provide GPS and long-distance calling to any phone in the world . . .
Sure, some of our taxes go to pay for things we don’t want, or don’t think government should pay for. But a lot goes for stuff you may take for granted or, at least, you expect and want government to pay for.
I have this occasional fantasy about a Senator railing away against tax-and-spend. Okay, says the Prez and the Budget Office. No one in your state will pay any more Federal taxes. And you don’t get any Federal dollars, either. No money for schools, medicaid, medicare, social security for your elderly, housing for your poor; no money for roads or block grants. We’ll close the Federal courts in your state, and your citizens can’t file appeals with them or with the Supreme Court. We’ll close the Post Offices in your state. Your telephones can’t use our communication satellites or any of our GPS satellites. We won’t check your chicken for salmonella. Your Senators and Representatives will have to pay their own way. If the CIA hears of a plot to crash a plane into your downtown, or poison its water supply, we’ll just trash the information without telling you. You can’t call on the FBI. We’ll close that big air force base and move it to Pennsylvania. We’ll move the CDC out of Georgia, or the Federal reserve bank out of St Louis, and we’ll close Area 51.
How about them apples?

]]> By: J G http://www.taxgirl.com/a-memorial-day-thanks/comment-page-1/#comment-10484 J G Tue, 26 May 2009 02:19:52 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/?p=3403#comment-10484 Remembering those Pennsylvanians that fought and died so you could attend a tax protest without fear: http://www.pahometownheroes.org Remembering those Pennsylvanians that fought and died so you could attend a tax protest without fear:
http://www.pahometownheroes.org

]]> By: m fox http://www.taxgirl.com/a-memorial-day-thanks/comment-page-1/#comment-10482 m fox Mon, 25 May 2009 17:14:05 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/?p=3403#comment-10482 just because a person rails against taxes and joins tax protest such as tea parties does not mean that that person is against all taxes but rather is against the current or proposed tax scheme ( and many times against the spending that the tax increases are used for.) just because a person rails against taxes and joins tax protest such as tea parties does not mean that that person is against all taxes but rather is against the current or proposed tax scheme ( and many times against the spending that the tax increases are used for.)

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