I’d rather my tax dollars not be spent on some things, and I’d rather they be spent on others. But really, I don’t mind paying for services. I went to a public school, I use public roads, I’ve used the services of the FAA. I recognise the need for a strong military, even if I disagree with the way they are used. And so on, et cetera, und so weiter… I don’t use all of the things taxes are raised for, but I understand the need to pay for those things for the Collective Good.
I mind, because a great deal of my tax money is spent on things I believe are unnecessary or wasteful. I also mind because more capital in the free market almost always benefits the economy as a whole, and I think it does more good than inept bureaucrats can.
But I don’t do the paperwork. I have an accountant.
I don’t mind *paying * taxes for the reasons stated in the OP. I do get really annoyed around tax time when I have to *file * my taxes. Trust me, the amount I make and the amount I pay in taxes isn’t going to save the world, and me poring over my return doesn’t do anything good for me!
In theory, no. I do not mind paying for schools, roads, public works, etc. In practice, yes, because I think our government is largely run by wasteful idiots. I have no faith that my money is actually doing anything useful.
I especially dislike paying my Illinois state taxes because I am positive my state is run my wasteful (and corrupt!) idiots.
The only taxes I mind paying are property and estate taxes, well I’ve never had to pay estate taxes per se, but I don’t like the thought that a huge portion of my money will go away after I die. I’ve thought of moving my assets to Canada, where I would pay higher taxes in life but where there is no estate tax. Or I may have to plan to die in 2010 because for that year (unless the law is extended) there will be no estate tax in the United States.
That doesn’t mean I oppose to how the money I pay is spent, but I have no problem with the rate of taxation on anything other than property and estate (which I feel should not be taxed at all, morally speaking. Although practically a lot of work would have to be done to eliminate the property tax.)
I may not even have a problem with property taxes in application if we could find a way to permanently cap it at X% of value of the property and made it so no one would ever have to vacate their homes because of inability to pay the tax (basically making exceptions for people on fixed income/lower income people.)
Anyway, nobody’s taxes ever goes to anything they don’t like. You don’t like Medicare? Fine. Your taxes go to build an Air Force base in Germany; I’ll pay your share of the Medicare bill. Don’t like the Department of Education? Fine, your taxes actually to maintain the Interstate Highway System. Don’t like the DEA? Fine, your taxes fund the NEA. Etc.
I don’t mind paying taxes at all, and would be happy to pay more, but fercrissakes can someone please show the morons how to spend money properly? If we ran our households the way they manage their money, we’d all be in the poorhouse. When I read of the blatant stupidity (particularly war spending in Iraq) I could just scream. Get it right, guys. This isn’t rocket science.
Also, a society doesn’t “allow” someone to amass wealth. You have the natural right as a human being to amass property and wealth, since having an organized society with laws and taxes and services furthers that goal, then I’m glad to pay them while I"m alive, the government has gotten its cut, it shouldn’t get another.
I wouldn’t mind paying higher taxes – but only if the money went to things I liked.
I think it’s true what people are saying, that there is too much waste in government. And I’ll bet half of us are upset about the way the current administration is spending our money. On the other hand, half of the population may be opposed to the things I’d like the money spent on.
I don’t mind at all. I have specific complaints about particular elements of tax administration and allocation — and who doesn’t — but the fact of taxation doesn’t bother me at all. Indeed, in some ways, I view it as a positive thing, in that it’s a concrete demonstration of social harmony, insofar as people agree, in principle, that various priorities require collective contribution in order for the civilization to remain happy and prosperous. Almost brings a tear to my eye, it does.
He puts forward this: You and a twin are born. You each bid a certain amount of money that you’re going to give back to society when you die. The highest bidder gets born in the US. The lowest bidder gets born in Bangladesh.
I am a Liberatrian and even liberatrians don’t mind paying some taxes to support some types of services and infrastructure.
The question doesn’t make much sense in my mind. If you oppose paying taxes to support a government structure, roads, and schools that is a little nutty. If you support high taxes just because you like government to have the control rather than individuals, that is beyond nutty (I read a horrible slur for those thoughts once “Socialists” . The lines should be drawn somewhat by society values but mostly by cost/benefit analyses. Governments tend to be good at governing rather than creating wealth with a few notable exceptions such as interstate highways.
Nope, I don’t mind. Social security for retirement, medicare for retirement, educational funding, scientific research, the military, etc. I need them all. The total tax rate in the US is about 30% of income. I don’t really mind it though. I actually wish they were a little higher but that services became more affordable because of it (universal healthcare, more accessible education, more scientific R&D).
I’ve never understood the rage people have over what they perceive to be wasteful government spending. Some of these same people spend endless thousands a year on cigarettes and luxury autos which are designed to impress neighbors with slightly less luxurious autos.
By that meaning I see people make poor decisions with money all the time. It reminds me of someone I know personally who complains about tax waste (not realizing each example of waste only costs a fraction of a cent to that person personally) then turning around and wasting well over $100 a month on unnecessary purchases.
I’ve read posts on these boards in the past where people equate taxes to stealing by the government – yet those people use the services (and others) I mentioned earlier.
And yeah, I’m a bit of a socialist. I believe healthy, educated people are good for the economy and for the country; so I think that Universal Health Care and more, and more robust, educational programmes (including, but not limited to more opportunities for college education and higher education for older workers) would result in a net gain. I’d gladly pay higher taxes for that.
