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These things are never so cut and dry. Politicians know to cut funding from the most visible places first -- parks, police, roads, fire, schools, etc. It allow
by gottebp 8y ago
These things are never so cut and dry. Politicians know to cut funding from the most visible places first -- parks, police, roads, fire, schools, etc. It allows them to justify raising taxes. Then they turn and put the new revenue towards something else entirely. Finally the whole cycle repeats decade after decade, until [sales tax + property tax + fed income tax + social security (12% counting employer contribution) + state income tax + vehicle registration] is over 50%. Without trust earned through good action over time, good citizens are trapped with nothing left but to pull the plug.
- dv_dt 8y agoPerhaps there exist socially and economically positive things which taxes can fund more beneficially than individual spending for equivalent services.
- gottebp 8y agoPerhaps you misunderstand. I am not opposed to taxes that support the common good. Simply pointing out why it is hard to distinguish between reasonable taxation and excessive taxation made necessary by irresponsible use of revenue.
- dv_dt 8y agoIn your story cycle, there is this sort of promotion of learned helplessness of the citizen which can only end in pulling the plug. Perhaps I mistook that focus on the tax aspect instead of the benefit aspect of governing as being generically anti-governement. In general if you want more efficient use of money, I think it's better payoff to focus on the actual uses and how to get to the benefits more efficiently instead of concentrating on reducing costs. I feel that's true for businesses as well as governments.
- mikeash 8y agoGood citizens could elect good representatives who spend wisely. Unfortunately, that takes more effort than voting straight ticket once every four years and complaining the rest of the time.
- pteredactyl 8y agoHow do I pull the plug?