I frequently hear pundits proclaiming that no one likes to pay taxes. On Sunday one went so far as to say that an IRS survey that says 85% of people pay their taxes and 84% of people think everyone should pay their taxes is misleading because anyone who thinks that everyone else is cheating is going to be cheating as well, lest they miss the bandwagon.
More than a few might say less than flattering things about me, but I am happy to pay my taxes. The simple reason for it is that I perceive the benefits I get from paying taxes, and they're not overly onerous, either. I keep the vast majority of the money I'm paid. Sure, I'd like to have more, but I'm far more pissed about the loss of real earnings that I have from spiraling health insurance costs than I am taxes. It's health insurance that's eating up all my money.
Which is why I'm a proponent of a single payer health system. It would be akin to the taxes I already pay. Just pay it to one source to administer payments to providers. Easy. I still choose the providers, who in turn work with me for the appropriate care. I want the single administrator to be monitoring costs to make sure providers aren't abusing the system. Just like I like government oversight bodies reviewing government agencies, it's a fraud prevention and cost containment measure to save all of us money.
But back to the taxes I already pay. At the federal level I have a large discount because I have a mortgage. But the taxes I do pay go into a large pot that helps with my kids' schools, my local roads, and even fun stuff like the Smithsonian or various national parks. It also goes to defense, which is a necessary thing indeed. My state taxes go to schools and roads, as well as other services, especially in distribution to the county, which also does services such is garbage and recycling, road maintenance, and many more things.
Beyond direct benefits to me, though, there's the indirect benefit. My taxes going to help other people, most often in basic living or improvement of living circumstances, provides an indirect benefit to me by improving the living standards of the whole US community.
So, suck it up. Pay your taxes with a smile. They're to your benefit.
Wow. Your blind faith in government is akin to a religious belief.
ReplyDeleteRecognizing that there are benefits to government isn't blind faith in government. I'm all for plenty of oversight. And let's not forget the numerous checks on our government within our government. One element is contstantly in competition with another. They're always finking on one another.
ReplyDeleteThe constant drone of "government is evil", now that's blind.