I Want More For My Money

I just filed my taxes, and I'm not happy. Look, I'm not one of those anti-tax freaks, I realize we live in a free society, and that the costs of maintaining our way of life are costly and necessary. I'm perfectly willing to pay for the roads I drive on, and for the trash removal. I don't have kids, but I willingly pay to educate other people's kids, because if I don't, they will probably roam the streets while their parents are at work, and no doubt vandalize my car or break into my house. I completely understand the need for schools to teach all of those straight people's kids a useful skill so that they are not living on the streets, selling crack and whatever on the next block. As a business person, I realize the value of education because when I hire these kids, I expect them to be able to read and perform basic arithmetic functions, and speak the language in an acceptable manner.

My partner and I can't file jointly, because we're lesbians, and we pay more taxes than straight people. That's okay with me, I don't want children, I don't really like them that much, and if I have to pay extra taxes and not have to raise children, I don't mind, the extra money is worth it. I don't mind paying into programs that feed poor children, or help single women because I figure it's better to pay to feed them, than having them looking for something to eat at my house. There's nothing in my fridge but Diet Pepsi and Red Bull, and you shouldn't give that stuff to kids.

It costs money to have police in the city, and it costs money to have an army to defend you from those nations that might want to strike at us pre-emptively because we possess nuclear weapons and all sorts of WMD. Safety is expensive. But shit, I'll damned if I pay for a $400 billion dollar war that we're losing! If I'm paying that much for Iraq, I want it over, I want to win, and I don't want one more American or Iraqi to die. We've accomplished our objectives, there are no WMD, and we've achieved regime change, even though there is not a functioning government, you can still say that the regime has been changed, and drastically.

But really, I paid a whole shitload of taxes this year, and if the majority of my tax dollars go to the DOD, then I expect a short war, and very few casualties. I expect my government to be able to respond to a national emergency. I think that for $400 Billion, we should have won the war and had all of our soldiers safe at home by now. I expect that the national emergency agency will be able to respond efficiently to a hurricane or and earthquake. I expect children to be fed and educated. I expect our elderly to be cared for.

And if we're stupid enough to start a war, I expect to win it, for what it is costing me.

We are all smart consumers, but we're getting squeezed by the Federal Government. It's time to start demanding value for our tax dollars, better education, better health care, better investment for the future, and let's demand that the Department of Defense defend us and do it well.

If my tax dollars can't buy security and a decent life for all Americans, then I'd rather spend the money on a hot tub.

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