Taxes: Where your money goes

[Ivan Seeking]

...What You Paid For
An Itemized Receipt for the Typical Taxpayer

The typical working age household (a household led by a person between the
ages of 25 and 59) earned approximately $63,960 and paid $13,112 in federal
income and payroll taxes in 2007.* Below is a sample of exactly what that $13,112
paid for. See our attached spreadsheet for far greater detail. [continued]

http://www.thirdway.org/data/product/file/129/Third_Way_-_What_You_Paid_For_Memo.pdf [Broken]

I thought this was particularly interesting as it breaks down the US budget in terms of the dollar per item per household. It is often quite striking when one compares the amount spent on various programs - such as renewable energy technologies as compared to the Iraq war, which alone merits discussion IMO. When one can sit back and view the big picture, the logic or lack thereof regarding certain policies or practices often becomes apparent.

 

That is interesting! Thanks for the link.

 

[BobG]

I'm paying 18 cents a year for George Bush and his White House staff?

Why do I feel like I'm still not getting my money's worth?

 

[jaap de vries]

I just did my taxes and compared to Holland I hardly pay any taxes anymore. Anybody ever want to complain about their taxes here is the US just me know and I will calculate how much you would have paid in Holland, and that is not including the 19% sales tax!?

 

I just did my taxes and compared to Holland I hardly pay any taxes anymore. Anybody ever want to complain about their taxes here is the US just me know and I will calculate how much you would have paid in Holland, and that is not including the 19% sales tax!?

I agree, we have it pretty good. But, it would be even better if those dimes were handled more efficiently.

 

[Zantra]

I'm paying 18 cents a year for George Bush and his White House staff?

Why do I feel like I'm still not getting my money's worth?

Amen Bob- I know i'll be looking for an extra 12 cents back on my refund this year

and $2600 to pay into SS, which I'll most likely never see a dime of. nice:yuck:

 

[Astronuc]

I agree, we have it pretty good.

Most of us do have it pretty good.

But, it would be even better if those dimes were handled more efficiently.

Absolutely. The US government needs to get away from deficit spending and that ridiculous supplemental spending.

 

[kev1829]

I just did my taxes and compared to Holland I hardly pay any taxes anymore. Anybody ever want to complain about their taxes here is the US just me know and I will calculate how much you would have paid in Holland, and that is not including the 19% sales tax!?

Did you ever complain about the average work week being under 30 hours or getting 25 days of vacation per year? My experience with residents of Europe is that due to the high tax rates most people find ways to keep significant portions of their incomes un-reported.

 

[loseyourname]

Thanks for posting that. I've actually been looking at all of the federal agency budgets submitted to Congress for the last few weeks and I've been wanting to find something like this that breaks down exactly where the money goes. It's hard to find because so many programs are paid for by earmarked consumption taxes, excise taxes, corporate taxes, and such, so it's hard to know exactly where income and FICA taxes specifically are going.

 

[Mental Gridlock]

If you live and work in the United States, your federal tax dollars go to a variety of important US

government agendas, including:

-worldwide corporate militaristic hegemony overseas, including the continuously increasing

expenditure for the purchase of munitions used for the destruction of civilians and

infrastructure in the middle east[1], the construction of US fortressess including the most

elaborate US embassy in the world that is in Iraq, a highly fortified castle that cost

hundreds of millions of dollars to build and will cost a lot more to operate[2]

-$300,000,000.00 annually to be spent between the years 2008 and 2015 for a governmental

national electronic ID card program[3]

-construction of an elaborate detention camp network on US soil to be used for "new

programs" to ensure "homeland security".[4] (please note that many of these detention

centers are already built, and could be filled with political prisoners who have

committed no crime other than exercizing their first ammendment rights to speak out against

the impending police state)[5]

-the bribery of the mainstream media to spin the truth about US corporate military

campaigns into a positive light to keep the American people ignorant of the government's

real agenda[6] (aka propaganda)

-domestic spying programs that can be used to unconstitutionally monitor US citizens [7]

-computerized touchscreen "election" polling machines which can be programmed to yield any

election result the government wants.[8]

-the training of US military personnell for domestic civilian law enforcement and riot

control (martial law)[9] for their preparedness in carrying out and enforcing martial law

upon the declaration of a national emergency[10] and quelling any civilian resistance[11]

to the new police state.

Dictator Bush isn't just consolidating power to rape the middle east and incarcerate its

own citizens for being political dissidents and speaking out, but he's using your hard

earned taxpayer dollars to do it.

I would spend less time quibbling about which liar we like the best for the 2008 elections,

and more time worrying about what we are going to do when the 2008 elections are called off

by dictator Bush due to some kind of national emergency while he clings to dictatorial

power.

Also a little more time studying Hitler's rise to power, including how he consolidated

power by transorming what was a democracy into a dictatorship under his executive control,

using a fake threat to German "homeland security" i.e. the Reichsteig fire, his invasion of

Poland for "national security" reasons, his incarceration and suppression of political

dissidents, and his control of the media in order to keep his people subsurvient to his

agenda.[12] Because history repeats, and we must not repeat the mistakes of the past. We should have learned from this.

So to respond to the thread topic, just remember that many of your hard earned taxpayer

dollars that you give the government is going right to executive dictatorial command to

fuel its militaristic imperialism.

[1]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4617721.stm

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20080202_Bush_seeks_rise_in_weapons_spending.html



http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-12-10-cluster-bomb-cover_x.htm

http://www.doctorsforiraq.org/FALLUJA_ONE_YEAR_ON.pdf

[2]
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2364255.ece

http://iraq.usembassy.gov/about_the_embassy.html

[3]
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1117:

[4]

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/47/17936

[5]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040201568_pf.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/nyregion/17police.html

[6]
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html?
_r=2&bl&ex=1208923200&en=0e651ff14adec327&ei=5087 &oref=slogin&oref=slogin



[7]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/patriotact/

[8]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEzY2tnwExs&feature=related

[9]


[10]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html
http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWL083105lawless.1242410b.html

[11]
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/26/dc.protests/index.html


[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler's_rise_to_power

 

If you live and work in the United States, your federal tax dollars go to a variety of important US

government agendas, including:

<snip>

If you sincerely believe that the US is becoming a tyrannic government, all the more reason to fight to maintain your 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. One of the chief purposes of which is to have the ability to prevent this kind of thing getting out of control of "the people". I'm not convinced of a dark government conspiracy to rule the world but I do see us slipping into a system of excessive government regulation of our lives.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Yeah, I'm sure your 9-mil pee shooter will do a lot of good when a tank comes rolling up to your front door.

 

Yeah, I'm sure your 9-mil pee shooter will do a lot of good when a tank comes rolling up to your front door.

Hmm, well if we take a lesson from the Al Queda folks, I don't think tanks would be a problem for long. If it came down to it, "the people" could take the government back. As is shown, our military can hardly take one city.

I don't own a 9mm. But even so, it's hardly a pee shooter.

 

[mgb_phys]

At least you can still keeping your presentation tools of mass destruction
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2214806/australian-state-set-ban-laser [Broken]

 

[Mental Gridlock]

If you sincerely believe that the US is becoming a tyrannic government, all the more reason to fight to maintain your 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. One of the chief purposes of which is to have the ability to prevent this kind of thing getting out of control of "the people". I'm not convinced of a dark government conspiracy to rule the world but I do see us slipping into a system of excessive government regulation of our lives.

Many German citizens, after Hitler had invaded and conquered Poland for "security" reasons, were not yet convinced of any German plans for "world domination" either.

The USA has already conquered two countries and is posturing to conquer a third. How many countries do they need to invade before you are convinced of this conspiracy for world domination?

About the second ammendment, this is a very important ammendment among all the others, but I will stop short of discussing it any further as I never would intend to encourage anyone to acquire arms for fear of their government, or otherwise promote any kind of "armed" resistance, as the call for any kind of violence is strictly against the physics forum rules.

But really back to the topic at hand, I was trying to emphasize the fact that our tax dollars do indeed go towards supporting the police state and United States world domination down the barrel of a gun at the expense of thousands of innocent lives.

Each and every American worker is helping to finance the destruction of innocent people and civilian infrastructure around the world, just as all those Japanese workers in Hiroshima and Nagasaki worked to fuel the Japanese war machine. And those people apparently had to be nuked, or at least claims that terrorist Truman and all of his supporters who applaud the two single biggest terrorist attacks in the history of civilization.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The USA has already conquered two countries and is posturing to conquer a third. How many countries do they need to invade before you are convinced of this conspiracy for world domination?

Aside from the fact that conspiracy theories are not allowed here... we can't afford world domination. But we were attacked, as you may recall, and what you have seen is just a taste of what may come if these lunatic terrorists manage any big hits on the US. The actions of the Bush administration were possible because of fear.

But again, conspiracy theories are not allowed.

 

[Mental Gridlock]

So the United States invading Iraq and Afghanistan and controlling land in those places is a "conspiracy theory"? I could have sworn that this happened. Maybe it was all just a dream.

 

[Gokul43201]

No, but the claim about "world domination is. To quote that specific claim:

How many countries do they need to invade before you are convinced of this conspiracy for world domination?

When you theorize about a conspiracy, you have what we call a 'conspiracy theory'.

 

[Cyrus]

So the United States invading Iraq and Afghanistan and controlling land in those places is a "conspiracy theory"? I could have sworn that this happened. Maybe it was all just a dream.

....seriously man...... ?...

 

[Mental Gridlock]

The actions of the Bush administration were possible because of fear.

Indeed. 100% agreed. And the actions of Hitler for his consolidation of power were possible because of fear as well. Remember that.

 

[Mental Gridlock]

No, but the claim about "world domination is. To quote that specific claim:
When you theorize about a conspiracy, you have what we call a 'conspiracy theory'.

But it's not a "theory".. That's the thing. The actions of the US government which I have cited are factual.

Which facts are you disputing?

 

[Cyrus]

No, you are taking facts and the using them to come up with your own bogus conclusions.

 

[Mental Gridlock]

No, you are taking facts and the using them to come up with your own bogus conclusions.

Okay, explain to me what is a less "bogus" conclusion as to the establishment of the prison camp network? Please clarify the more reasonable reason why the US has built the network of detention facilities on US soil for "new programs" to facilitate "homeland security".

If my conclusion is "bogus", I don't see any other more reasonable conclusions.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Because you don't dominate the world by ruining your own country's economy in order to run two podunk countries in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Cyrus]

Okay, explain to me what is a less "bogus" conclusion as to the establishment of the prison camp network? Please clarify the more reasonable reason why the US has built the network of detention facilities on US soil for "new programs" to facilitate "homeland security".

If my conclusion is "bogus", I don't see any other more reasonable conclusions.

Hopefully, to house crackpots in it.

How about you read some DHS papers to see why. I don't work for the DHS. I am not going to speak for them. I am not going to make my own ad hoc conclusions just becuase yours are.

 

[Mental Gridlock]

I suppose the North American Union is just a crackpot conspiracy theory as well.

 

Americans do not want a North American Union. I imagine the people of Canada and Mexico do not want one either. Therefore it won't happen.

 

[Cyrus]

I suppose the North American Union is just a crackpot conspiracy theory as well.

So, now you're trying to make your point by injecting other unrelated premises. Nice.

I hope your next move isn't going to be some 9-11 conspiracy.

 

[Mental Gridlock]

So, now you're trying to make your point by injecting other unrelated premises. Nice.

I hope your next move isn't going to be some 9-11 conspiracy.

Well when none of my facts were refuted, I got to interject something else so maybe you can tackle that.. You know the fact about the prison camps having no reasonable explanation just stands there. I speculate what the reason for those prison camps might be but I'm just a crackpot conspiracy theorist. Yet no OTHER theory exists for why the government is building those detention centers.. So yeah when the topic isn't being talked about..

The topic is that our taxpayer dollars are being spent on building these detention centers. I'd like to know why our dollars are being spent as such.

As you're unable to answer this other than to refer me to the DHS, (the DHS stated by the way their reason was "new programs", I already checked with them).. And nobody can tell me what those new programs might be.

So I speculate on the new programs and I'm a conspiracy theorist. Got it. Even though no one ever came forward with a reasonable conclusion yet.

You can't have an alternate theory without an official theory yet in place.

At least with the 9/11 conspiracy theory, there still is the official government explanation for how it happened. Yet regarding these "new programs" for these detention centers.

What else can we do other than guess why our government is spending our tax money on them? Considering the government hasn't yet told us their true purpose.

 

[mgb_phys]

Americans do not want a North American Union. I imagine the people of Canada and Mexico do not want one either. Therefore it won't happen.

Yes it will - we will just exclude the USA. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27842

 

[Cyrus]

Well when none of my facts were refuted, I got to interject something else so maybe you can tackle that..

None of your facts were refuted because you took known facts and then drew your own bogus conclusion. We've already been though this once already.

You know the fact about the prison camps having no reasonable explanation just stands there. I speculate what the reason for those prison camps might be but I'm just a crackpot conspiracy theorist. Yet no OTHER theory exists for why the government is building those detention centers.. So yeah when the topic isn't being talked about..

I never said they have no reasonable explanation. YOU did. It doesn't stand anywhere. It is exactly your specualtion that makes your theory a crackpot one at best.

The topic is that our taxpayer dollars are being spent on building these detention centers. I'd like to know why our dollars are being spent as such.

I suggest you write to your congressman.

As you're unable to answer this other than to refer me to the DHS, (the DHS stated by the way their reason was "new programs", I already checked with them).. And nobody can tell me what those new programs might be.

Then why do you want me to tell you? Didnt you comprehend that I don't work at the DHS and that I can't speak for them?

So I speculate on the new programs and I'm a conspiracy theorist. Got it. Even though no one ever came forward with a reasonable conclusion yet.

Yes, you are.

You can't have an alternate theory without an official theory yet in place.

At least with the 9/11 conspiracy theory, there still is the official government explanation for how it happened. Yet regarding these "new programs" for these detention centers.

What else can we do other than guess why our government is spending our tax money on them? Considering the government hasn't yet told us their true purpose.

Again, write to your congressman.

 

Well when none of my facts were refuted, I got to interject something else so maybe you can tackle that.. You know the fact about the prison camps having no reasonable explanation just stands there. I speculate what the reason for those prison camps might be but I'm just a crackpot conspiracy theorist. Yet no OTHER theory exists for why the government is building those detention centers.. So yeah when the topic isn't being talked about..

The topic is that our taxpayer dollars are being spent on building these detention centers. I'd like to know why our dollars are being spent as such.

As you're unable to answer this other than to refer me to the DHS, (the DHS stated by the way their reason was "new programs", I already checked with them).. And nobody can tell me what those new programs might be.

So I speculate on the new programs and I'm a conspiracy theorist. Got it. Even though no one ever came forward with a reasonable conclusion yet.

You can't have an alternate theory without an official theory yet in place.

At least with the 9/11 conspiracy theory, there still is the official government explanation for how it happened. Yet regarding these "new programs" for these detention centers.

What else can we do other than guess why our government is spending our tax money on them? Considering the government hasn't yet told us their true purpose.

Where are the actual locations of these detention camps?

If there are camps, I'd suspect it is in preparation for a possible war with a middle eastern country that may have militants within or borders. Pure speculation, of course. Surely our own prison system could not handle it if needed. There is your alternate theory.

Again, where are these camps at?

 

[wildman]

It is interesting that the money going to welfare to the poor was about 8%. In other words, if we are going to balance the budget, that is not where to look for savings...

Unfortunately for me, the place to cut is in the military and everyone knows it. I am afraid that we in the defense industry are in for some hard times...

 

Defense spending as a percentage of the budget has been at all-time lows over the past 15 years. Cutting defense spending would yield much less than you might think.

It is easy to decry the $500+ billion that is spent on defense each year. A "billion" is that "big" number on the sign at McDonald's. So naturally, people get out their calculators and see how many schools, years of college tuition, etc. $500 billion can buy. However, this analysis is done in absolute terms (dollars), not relative terms (percentage of the budget).

Defense spending is expected to remain at about 20% of budget outlays for the next several years (as seen starting on page 51 of http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/hist.pdf [Broken], about 2/3 of the way down each page). Arguably, this figure should be higher due to:

-discretionary spending (of which defense receives the lion's share)
-the expenses of civilian intelligence agencies and homeland security
-defense-related projects in the Department of Energy, NASA, and other agencies

However, even acknowledging those factors, defense spending as a percentage of expenditures has seen a marked decline over the past 70 years.

 

I can think of plenty of possible solutions to ease the tax pain. Most will probably never happen as long as men are corrupt, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions so let's start with government spending on foreign aid, since we're all paying out of our hard earned money for little kids somewhere in Africa or Iraq to eat when they should be feeding themselves -

- end foreign aid and adopt a non-intervention policy for our government, but at the same time let free market buy and sell to who they want and who can afford it. If people are starving, volunteer groups and charities can help their neighbors from other nations with their own funds. Charity will take care of it.

-end welfare! Work for your living! If you can't find work, learn something valuable. Still can't find work? Start a business if you can afford it.

-pay off social security to those who have paid into it and phase it out. People need to learn to plan and save for their own retirement.

-end medicaid and have the government stop interfering with insurance and medical industries. We live in a capital society, so let supply and demand determine who receives medical treatment and drugs.

-bring our brave young men and women home from Iraq, and put them to better use in protecting us from the terrorists who may try to harm us by crossing the southern or northern border.

-cut ties with the UN, shut down foreign military bases or charge the foreign governments for profit to keep them operational, and regroup the military into a self-defense force. With all the foreign bases shut down, we can downsize our military and thus cut taxes further.

- flat tax rate