What should be done with how our income taxes get spent?

[TomasG]

whitehouse.gov/2011-taxreceipt

Your 2011 Federal Taxpayer Receipt

I'm going with the assumption that the list is accurate.

If most Americans believe that tax payer money (federal income tax) could be better spent, what specific cuts should be made based on how the tax dollars are presently allocated?

what spending/allocation of resources can be increased for the better of the federal budget and America in general?

I would appreciate how much of an impact you believe your changes would make in the short and long term.



Income Tax % of Total Income

National Defense 24.9%

Health care 23.7%

Job and Family Security 19.1%

Education and Job Training 3.6%

Veterans Benefits 4.5%

Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment 2.0%

International Affairs 1.6%

Science, Space, and Technology Programs 1.0%

Immigration, Law Enforcement, and Administration of Justice 2.0%

Agriculture 0.7%

Community, Area, and Regional Development 0.5%

Response to Natural Disasters 0.4%

Additional Government Programs 7.9%

Net Interest 8.1%

 

[M14 Shooter]

You need to look at how every federal dollar is spent, rather than just federal income tax.

 

[depotoo]

I don't know which category it is under but according to the ad I just saw on here, they are letting everyone know they can now get a free cell phone if they can't afford it. Actually I do know it is a real program, along with internet, etc. Been going on for awhile now. Our good ole tax dollars at work.

 

[Intense]

There are many abuse projects out there, all funded with borrowed money we all pay the interest on.

 

[Artevelde]

whitehouse.gov/2011-taxreceipt

Your 2011 Federal Taxpayer Receipt

I'm going with the assumption that the list is accurate.

If most Americans believe that tax payer money (federal income tax) could be better spent, what specific cuts should be made based on how the tax dollars are presently allocated?

what spending/allocation of resources can be increased for the better of the federal budget and America in general?

I would appreciate how much of an impact you believe your changes would make in the short and long term.



Income Tax % of Total Income

National Defense 24.9%

Health care 23.7%

Job and Family Security 19.1%

Education and Job Training 3.6%

Veterans Benefits 4.5%

Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment 2.0%

International Affairs 1.6%

Science, Space, and Technology Programs 1.0%

Immigration, Law Enforcement, and Administration of Justice 2.0%

Agriculture 0.7%

Community, Area, and Regional Development 0.5%

Response to Natural Disasters 0.4%

Additional Government Programs 7.9%

Net Interest 8.1%

The Federal budget should be devoted to paying for things that are the federal government's core responsibilities. Other things, like education, arts, comunity development, etc are not the federal government's responsibility.

 

[FJO]

Bunch of us drive to Myrtle Beach each November for a week of golf.

Spend more, much more on the I73-I74 corridor and complete that blasted freeway to Myrtle Beach, already!!!

 

[flacaltenn]

whitehouse.gov/2011-taxreceipt

Your 2011 Federal Taxpayer Receipt

I'm going with the assumption that the list is accurate.

If most Americans believe that tax payer money (federal income tax) could be better spent, what specific cuts should be made based on how the tax dollars are presently allocated?

what spending/allocation of resources can be increased for the better of the federal budget and America in general?

I would appreciate how much of an impact you believe your changes would make in the short and long term.



Income Tax % of Total Income

National Defense 24.9%

Health care 23.7%

Job and Family Security 19.1%

Education and Job Training 3.6%

Veterans Benefits 4.5%

Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment 2.0%

International Affairs 1.6%

Science, Space, and Technology Programs 1.0%

Immigration, Law Enforcement, and Administration of Justice 2.0%

Agriculture 0.7%

Community, Area, and Regional Development 0.5%

Response to Natural Disasters 0.4%

Additional Government Programs 7.9%

Net Interest 8.1%

Welcome THomas.

If the budget and finance of the USA was THIS SIMPLE -- it wouldn't take thousands of pages to print one. This list doesn't show the 1/2 of it and it doesn't show the impending disaster for programs and deficits that continue to bloom..

For instance -- Net Interest is currently HISTORICALLY LOW because of the suppressed interest rates and monetary policy.. Should we continue to ignore the fact that we're writing Soc Sec checks and 40cents on every dollar with BORRIED money now -- that 8% number could EASILY BECOME 20% of more of the expenditures in the near future.

The list does not show TAX rebates and subsidies where GE gets $100 for every washer/dryer they sell. Similiarly it doesn't show LOANS that are written to bet on companies or foreign nations.

In another thread today I was AMAZED at the groundswell to cut or eliminate the TSA. Times change quickly. Similiarly there is WIDESPREAD support to END the pretense that the FEDS should be funding the Dept of Ed at all. Add to that the Dept of Commerce, and half of the Dept of Energy and you've got some savings.

The more the govt THINKS it can mangle -- the less efficient and attentive it becomes to BASIC tasks like ensuring honest elections and monitoring the border. There is an ENDLESS JUNGLE of cuts that should be made TODAY...

 

[Polk]

You need to look at how every federal dollar is spent, rather than just federal income tax.

Adding in FICA would drive all of those numbers down (they'd keep the same relationship to each other though), and Social Security plus Medicare would be a large chunk.

 

[Polk]

There are many abuse projects out there, all funded with borrowed money we all pay the interest on.

But is large-scale abuse actually occurring? Seems doubtful.

 

[Intense]

There are many abuse projects out there, all funded with borrowed money we all pay the interest on.

But is large-scale abuse actually occurring? Seems doubtful.

It seems encouraged. Seems it's all about creating dependency and buying votes.

 

[Polk]

There are many abuse projects out there, all funded with borrowed money we all pay the interest on.

But is large-scale abuse actually occurring? Seems doubtful.

It seems encouraged. Seems it's all about creating dependency and buying votes.

That doesn't work out logically. Even if abuse insured that members of the bureaucracy would vote a certain way, it wouldn't be a rational path, considering the much higher damage done by negative news stories about waste/abuse and higher tax levels necessary to support the spending.

 

[eflatminor]

...what specific cuts should be made based on how the tax dollars are presently allocated?

Here's an idea: How about the federal government spend money overseeing those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution. You know, the law of the land. That might be a place where we can all agree the federal government has the authority to operate.

And guess what? If the government lived within the confines of the Constitution, there would be no need for an income tax.

Crazy I know.

 

[Katzndogz]

You don't get a say in how tax money is spent. Once the money is taxed away from you, it becomes funds of the government to be spent however they want. If you don't like the way they spend the money, vote.

How many people are government employees and get government money? How much say so does the government retain in telling them how to spend their money. If a secretary for the Pentagon tithes a tenth of her income to her Church, should she be prohibited from doing that because the government doesn't support religion?

 

[Polk]

The government isn't a "they". Representatives are elected, so they're simply spending money on the community's behalf. If the community, as a body, did not agree, they would not have elected those people to office in the first place.

 

[flacaltenn]

The government isn't a "they". Representatives are elected, so they're simply spending money on the community's behalf. If the community, as a body, did not agree, they would not have elected those people to office in the first place.

At BEST there is 48% of the populace that IS NOT represented by those "elected" officials. At WORST (if you count non-voters) that figure approaches 70% of the populace that did not give their consent. We do NOT give our consent to Czars, Bureaucrats, the Fed Reserve, IRS or EPA.. They don't run on citizen approval..

We are not a community united on goals or expenditures. And as SUCH politicians should tread wisely when claiming they have mandates to make questionable investments.

Even where there is widespread AGREEMENT on spending policy (such as corporate welfare or Fed Education meddling) there is no vote (except outside of the r/d duopoly) that will change these policies..

 

[TomasG]

...what specific cuts should be made based on how the tax dollars are presently allocated?

Here's an idea: How about the federal government spend money overseeing those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution. You know, the law of the land. That might be a place where we can all agree the federal government has the authority to operate.

And guess what? If the government lived within the confines of the Constitution, there would be no need for an income tax.

Crazy I know.

Interesting thought however we've had 200+ years to decide which politicians to elect who ultimately spend our tax dollars on certain priorities. What has become of our US government, spending, national priorities is our doing, I'm thinking on a longitudinal scale not the present congress and administration.

 

[eflatminor]

...what specific cuts should be made based on how the tax dollars are presently allocated?

Here's an idea: How about the federal government spend money overseeing those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution. You know, the law of the land. That might be a place where we can all agree the federal government has the authority to operate.

And guess what? If the government lived within the confines of the Constitution, there would be no need for an income tax.

Crazy I know.

Interesting thought however we've had 200+ years to decide which politicians to elect who ultimately spend our tax dollars on certain priorities. What has become of our US government, spending, national priorities is our doing, I'm thinking on a longitudinal scale not the present congress and administration.

Agreed. Time to do something different.

 

[Intense]

Living within our means, is a good place to start.

 

[AquaAthena]

You don't get a say in how tax money is spent.

Once the money is taxed away from you, it becomes funds of the government to be spent however they want. If you don't like the way they spend the money, vote.

How many people are government employees and get government money? How much say so does the government retain in telling them how to spend their money. If a secretary for the Pentagon tithes a tenth of her income to her Church, should she be prohibited from doing that because the government doesn't support religion?

Once the money is taxed away from you, it becomes funds of the government to be spent however they want. If you don't like the way they spend the money, vote.

Lousy politicians are the ones elected by good people who don't....vote.

 

[AquaAthena]

You don't get a say in how tax money is spent. Once the money is taxed away from you, it becomes funds of the government to be spent however they want. If you don't like the way they spend the money, vote.

Vote. I know a liberal who is sick to death of Barack Obama, so she isn't going to vote at all.