"If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
It's not that I mind paying taxes so much. Nobody really enjoys it, but it's a necessary part of having a society. It's better to pay taxes and let the government maintain a police department than it is for each of us to hire our own security force. Fire Departments serve the public, and the public should pay for them. A strong military is a necessity in the world in which we live, and that costs a lot of money. Fighting three wars at once with no real exit strategy for any of them is a little different.
It's not that I mind paying taxes so much, it's that I don't feel that we're getting our money's worth. The government does a lot of worthwhile things, but it's not a very good marketing organization. People would feel better about the inevitable higher taxes that are on the way if they had a basic understanding of where that money goes Rather than fight with each other so much, the politicians need to convince people that their money is being put to good use.
The problem, of course, is that a lot of the money is not being put to good use and everybody on the planet knows it. I think that much of what the government does, it should stop doing - and stop making me pay for. Entitlement programs are untouchable in budget talks. Why? Political suicide. Medicaid recipients vote. If anyone thinks we spend too much on the military, she is branded as unpatriotic. Medicare is supposed to help older Americans. It is not supposed to drive 16% of our economy.
Everyone resents being taxed to fund things they don't believe in. Everyone resents being taxed to pad politicians' pockets. Everyone resents being taxed so trillions can be wasted by bureaucrats who don't have to be careful with the money they are allotted. And people expect that to change before they're even willing to entertain paying more taxes.
I'm thankful that we have to pay taxes, because it means we're making money. I would love to be proud to pay them, and proud of what they are used for.
But the best I can do for now is to be very glad I'm done. Now I can move on to something else.