Posted on 03/25/2007 1:35:33 PM PDT by RKV
While many studies answer the question of who pays taxes in America, the question of who gets the most government spending is often overlooked. Just as some Americans bear a larger portion of the nation's tax burden than others, some Americans also receive a larger share of the nation's government spending.
This report summarizes the key findings of a comprehensive 2007 Tax Foundation study of federal, state and local taxes and government spending. The results show that when we consider the distribution of government spending as well as taxes, it provides a dramatically altered view of how U.S. fiscal policy affects Americans at different income levels than is apparent from the distribution of tax burdens alone.
Overall, we find that America's lowest-earning one-fifth of households received roughly $8.21 in government spending for each dollar of taxes paid in 2004. Households with middle-incomes received $1.30 per tax dollar, and America's highest-earning households received $0.41. Government spending targeted at the lowest-earning 60 percent of U.S. households is larger than what they paid in federal, state and local taxes. In 2004, between $1.03 trillion and $1.53 trillion was redistributed downward from the two highest income quintiles to the three lowest income quintiles through government taxes and spending policy.
What is your opinion of people, mainly women, on public assistance. They have a great life, never having got out of bed at four in the morning to get a jump on the day. Staying up watching TV until all hours of the night. Using drugs and getting high. Sleeping with most of the men on the block and getting pregnant when they chose to. Killing babies when the pregnancy was an inconvience without fear or financial cost.
You and I support them. That's right we pay every damn bill they run up, on time too and don't require them to pay us back. Nor does the court!
These broads have it made.
Absolutely. It's amazing what you can achieve financially by holding down a decent job and spending less than you make.
Our culture has slid into a "I want it now" and "I deserve it" mindset that is very corrosive. The amount of discretionary debt I read about that the average person carries is mind-boggling.
Many people are very stupid with their money.
I'm not sure women are the worst abusers but I agree with you that there are some very savvy people who are expert at manipulating the system for their gain. It really ticks me off.
Example: I worked until 11:30 last evening on a project, and then set my alarm for 4:30 this morning to go to the airport for an early morning flight. I would have loved to have slept in. But I had a job to do and clients whose interest I protect. Not everybody needs to work as hard as I do, but I wish more people would buck up and grow up. Sometimes I worry we're raising generations of immature children who never learn responsibility. Not all people, of course, but far too many.
You are complaining that the money is not given directly to the people who never earned it ?
That it is somehow unfair that they "only" receive free services like healthcare and education, and free food via foodstamps and school lunches ?
Of course they have control. Government programs only exist as long as they have 'clients'. So if the 'clients' decline to use any of those services and reject the benefits they are offered, that government spending would disappear. Conservatives would place measures on local ballots and introduce bills in Congress to de-fund those programs, and they would pass easily without 'clients' creating a need for them.
The control is in the hands of the 'clients' receiving those government benefits.
Wrong. we have the wealth and brains. They have the police and the army. The police aren't there to protect anyone. They're there to carry out the will of the government with armed force. Try seeing what happens if you don't pay your property taxes and defend "your" property with armed force when the police come to seize it so that it can be sold to support the poor.
People who've earned money should be allowed to spend it however they choose.
Spending it on their children is suddenly an exception to that ?
That is pure envy.
Excellent advice.
"People who've earned money should be allowed to spend it however they choose.
Spending it on their children is suddenly an exception to that ?
That is pure envy"
The gist of the post was that rich people work hard to get where they are. My post was saying that not all of them do. None of your statements make sense in that light.
As for the envy part, damn right!
The hard work was still done -- even if not by the person doing the spending today. My point is that it should make no difference -- as long as the money was come by honestly, your 'trustifarian' should not have to apologize for it.
If your comment was not disparaging, then I apologize. Too often I hear liberals talk about 'trust fund babies' as though their money should be taken away in taxes because they didn't PERSONALLY earn it with their own labor. To talk that way shows complete disregard for the rights of private property and lack of respect for the effort that went into accumulating the wealth in the first place. I think it is one of the more insidious indicators of Marxist philosophy creeping into our society.
Overall, we find that America's lowest-earning one-fifth of households received roughly $8.21 in government spending for each dollar of taxes paid in 2004. Households with middle-incomes received $1.30 per tax dollar, and America's highest-earning households received $0.41.
Is this enough socialism to prevent the socialist revolution you claim you fear?
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