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> Helping total strangers out with my tax money is not something I just do because it is the right thing to do, I also do it because living in a nicer society f

> Helping total strangers out with my tax money is not something I just do because it is the right thing to do, I also do it because living in a nicer society feels better than living in one where one quarter is desperately fighting for survival while another quarter has basically already given up. This is basically my thought process, and I also feel it would be a stronger argument in a lot of cases. Some amount of me, in some cases, views the taxes through the lens of helping people and making a collective better future. Another part of me is much more selfish about it. Don't like seeing homeless, drug addicts, dirty streets, street tents, beggers, etc? Pay your share to not see them.

nradov 4y ago
I'm not opposed to paying taxes to help out people in need. But in California, much of that tax revenue ends up in the "homeless industrial complex" filled with bureaucrats, consultants, vendors, and non-profit employees who have a direct financial incentive to perpetuate the problem rather than solving it. Some are also pushing leftist political ideologies which directly cause more homelessness when put into practice. I don't mean to paint with too broad a brush here. Most people working to aid the homeless are sincere and trying to make a positive influence. But there is a huge amount of waste, and taxpayers are right to be skeptical about where their money is going.
- bombcar 4y ago
  This is the main concern - millions or billions can be spent on a system that is obviously failing and the solution is always spend even more.
- xboxnolifes 4y ago
  I agree. I was talking more in general toward the idea of not wanting to pay more in taxes to "pay for the lifestyle of those who don't work", that is a common sentiment in general for social safety nets. Instead of focusing on how someone's money will help someone else, you can show how it will help those who would be paying more in taxes.

nradov 4y ago

I'm not opposed to paying taxes to help out people in need. But in California, much of that tax revenue ends up in the "homeless industrial complex" filled with bureaucrats, consultants, vendors, and non-profit employees who have a direct financial incentive to perpetuate the problem rather than solving it. Some are also pushing leftist political ideologies which directly cause more homelessness when put into practice. I don't mean to paint with too broad a brush here. Most people working to aid the homeless are sincere and trying to make a positive influence. But there is a huge amount of waste, and taxpayers are right to be skeptical about where their money is going.

bombcar 4y ago
This is the main concern - millions or billions can be spent on a system that is obviously failing and the solution is always spend even more.
xboxnolifes 4y ago
I agree. I was talking more in general toward the idea of not wanting to pay more in taxes to "pay for the lifestyle of those who don't work", that is a common sentiment in general for social safety nets. Instead of focusing on how someone's money will help someone else, you can show how it will help those who would be paying more in taxes.