What You Get For Your Money

There's nothing more patriotic than mailing in your taxes in April. Nothing says "Proud American" more than signing that check, and sealing the envelope addressed to the IRS. After all, taxes are the price we pay for living in a free nation, and as nations go, this one is pretty good. I'm single (technically, although if I tried to convince my partner A of that, she'd probably throw something at me), I don't have kids, and I make an okay salary, so my tax burden is heavier than most others. I don't mind paying a larger percentage than others, I know how difficult and expensive it is to have children, and I would seriously rather work more hours and pay more taxes than have the worry that comes with having children. I don't mind if I pay for other people's children to be educated, I'm the one who has to hire them, I'd prefer that they have a good grasp of the language and decent computer skills when I do. And wouldn't we all prefer to have skilled productive members of society, than a bunch of unemployed kids on the streets? All kids don't have to be rocket scientists, or financial geniuses, but we owe them enough education to hold a decent job and support themselves and their families.

I don't mind paying for health care and food stamps for people who struggle to care for families. This is a great nation, full of wealth and opportunity, and there is no reason that we can't provide for those less fortunate. It just makes sense, you don't want sick, snotty nosed kids looking at you while you're eating your lunch, you want them to be somewhere else, healthly and well-fed, otherwise, how can you enjoy your lunch? I have free health care because my company provides it, but what good does it do if others don't have it, and the germs of the uninsured ride the same bus as the insured?

I'm a proud bleeding-heart liberal American, and I pay a lot of money for that privilege.

I don't mind paying for a strong national defense. But just how strong is it today, and how much do we pay for it? There are several different answers, depending on who you ask, but anyway you slice the pie that is the Federal Budget, we spend a shitload of money for the military, much more than any other nation. By spending alone, we should have been out of Iraq two years ago, and here we are today debating another shitload of money for Iraq. Why do we spend so much for security and get so little in return? Why does the most powerful nation in the world make the poor decision of fighting a handful of terrorists by invading a nation that had nothing to do with the terrorists? And having made that decision, why do we send a surge of 20 thousand troops to end the conflict, when it will really take 200 thousand? If the most powerful military in the world continues this futile action in Iraq, then no amount of money spent on defense will ever make us safe.

I'm a proud, anti-war, bleeding-heart liberal American, and I pay my taxes just like everyone else. But at some point, we must stop throwing our resources at these wars that we can't win, and start thinking about security.
I'm paying half of my tax dollars for a war that we are losing. It's time to think about spending our hard earned money on something that all Americans can benefit from. Secure borders, education, health care, investment in American jobs are things I would prefer to spend my tax dollars on.

And hey, as long as I'm paying my taxes, a shorter work week would be great.

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