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Can we also simultaneously hold the government accountable for efficient spending of the money? I want 2x better government services for the same amount of tax

Can we also simultaneously hold the government accountable for efficient spending of the money? I want 2x better government services for the same amount of taxes. The fact that no one questions government efficiency, but everyone is eager to pay taxes is delusional. If I lived in Zurich or Tokyo, yes, I am happy to pay taxes. I really don't want to give a dime to Oakland local government and California in general; I will do everything in my power and exercise all legal avenues to pay as little tax as I can.

ramraj07 4y ago
Pay your tax first (a fair share at that) and then harp about unfair spending.
- manigandham 4y ago
  What is a fair share? And what's the point of giving even more money to an entity that wastes most of it? You position is irrational and seems to be from a place of envy over other's wealth than actual societal benefit.
- systemvoltage 4y ago
  Have been. For years. I see dwindling QoL, infrastructure on stilts, power outages, anti-small-business bureacracy, woke government initiatives and dysfunctional law enforcement where I live. I give my local and state government a solid 2/10 score. I am a socialist where governments are efficient, liberatarian where governments are dysfunctional.
  - ABCLAW 4y ago
    >I am a socialist where governments are efficient, liberatarian where governments are dysfunctional. At first glance this position seems reasonable, but ultimately it's short sighted - the game is iterative. Penalizing the public coffer ultimately results in higher costs over the long run as high ROI investments are left on the planning table. The attitude itself is a large part of why the American government is paralyzed and cannot effectively address issues: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast
    - systemvoltage 4y ago
      This is a straw man. I’m speaking up for disproportional attention given to not holding the government accountable. There should be more focus on why government is dysfunctional than about raising taxes. The situation is completely opposite today, extremely lopsided. Newspapers and journalism has stopped exposing government scandals and inefficiencies, but people are frothing over other things. I want governments to work like Swiss agencies.
      - ABCLAW 4y ago
        It's not a straw man at all. Even in this post you restate the ideological underpinnings of starve the beast. If you want governments to work like efficient machines, you need to invest in them, which requires political will that will only exist after dispelling the narrative that they are incapable of solving problems. Also, I'm confused about the comment about newspapers and journalism. Do you have a source for that claim? My everyday experience is almost the exact opposite.

ramraj07 4y ago

Pay your tax first (a fair share at that) and then harp about unfair spending.

manigandham 4y ago
What is a fair share? And what's the point of giving even more money to an entity that wastes most of it? You position is irrational and seems to be from a place of envy over other's wealth than actual societal benefit.
systemvoltage 4y ago
Have been. For years. I see dwindling QoL, infrastructure on stilts, power outages, anti-small-business bureacracy, woke government initiatives and dysfunctional law enforcement where I live. I give my local and state government a solid 2/10 score. I am a socialist where governments are efficient, liberatarian where governments are dysfunctional.
- ABCLAW 4y ago
  >I am a socialist where governments are efficient, liberatarian where governments are dysfunctional. At first glance this position seems reasonable, but ultimately it's short sighted - the game is iterative. Penalizing the public coffer ultimately results in higher costs over the long run as high ROI investments are left on the planning table. The attitude itself is a large part of why the American government is paralyzed and cannot effectively address issues: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast
  - systemvoltage 4y ago
    This is a straw man. I’m speaking up for disproportional attention given to not holding the government accountable. There should be more focus on why government is dysfunctional than about raising taxes. The situation is completely opposite today, extremely lopsided. Newspapers and journalism has stopped exposing government scandals and inefficiencies, but people are frothing over other things. I want governments to work like Swiss agencies.
    - ABCLAW 4y ago
      It's not a straw man at all. Even in this post you restate the ideological underpinnings of starve the beast. If you want governments to work like efficient machines, you need to invest in them, which requires political will that will only exist after dispelling the narrative that they are incapable of solving problems. Also, I'm confused about the comment about newspapers and journalism. Do you have a source for that claim? My everyday experience is almost the exact opposite.