(no subject)

[jackofallgeeks]

So, hold up, more than 10% of my pay is lost to Federal taxes? $56.13 withheld from a $530.00 paycheck! To say nothing of state taxes or the other withholdings... All told, I lost nearly 25% of my paycheck to the government!

Comments

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

Well, the gov't does use that money for roads and stuff.

Mostly roads in Iraq these days, but still.

And the Strom Thurmond Health & Wellness Center.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

I'd just as soon they left me my money. I'd rather pay a toll on a road and know that the money was used on the road's upkeep than have my money evaporate and wonder what it was being used to fund...

I've never been a great fan of federal healthcare, either...

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

Oh, the Thurmond center isn't really healthcare. It's pure pork.

I mentioned roads mostly because - along with national defence and law enforcement - they're (well, large highways at least) traditional market-failure areas (using taxes to solve market failures is typically what separates the libertarians from the anarchists). I'd also argue that health care is an area of market failure, but that's for another day.

Detailed information on the federal budget can be obtained from the Congressional Budget Office (though interpreting a federal budget is a skill in itself).

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

I'd just figured that the Thurmond center was a spoof you'd made up. Still, I generally hold that I'm not a fan of Federal healthcare.

I think, perhapse, I'm more libertarian than I'd like to admit, but I'd be far more comfortable paying fewer taxes.

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

Nope, didn't make it up. But I was mistaken in the name, it's actually the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. To be fair, it's paid for by a combination of SC state funds, alumni donations, USC money, and federal funds. And Byrd (D-WV) is still the reigning King of Pork.

[photoholic62.livejournal.com]

Taxation with representation ain't so hot either.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm saying!

[photoholic62.livejournal.com]

If it bugs you now, never become self employed. The government lists our pay scale as 'poverty level' (although, we live well because we have no debt) and yet, we have to send them 700 bucks every three months, and another thousand or so on tax day.

ha!

[xenu.livejournal.com]

and you don't even pay philadelphia wage taxes!

Re: ha!

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

No, but I do pay Maryland State taxes. Is there much of a difference?

Re: ha!

[xenu.livejournal.com]

try:
PA State tax
all the other fun jaz

AND philly wage tax

[tzohekiti.livejournal.com]

At least you HAVE a paycheck! *shakes paper cup* spare some change for the buy-Anastasiya-dvds-fund

[timv.livejournal.com]

Ah....but look at what you've GAINED from the government!

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

You mean like the education system I don't trust, the medical I don't use, the welfare I don't believe in, and that road work that's never done?

OK, that may be a littlar harsh, just listing the sore spots; I'm not a complete ingrate. But I don't think they need 1/5th of my paycheck to do it, and if they do I'd expect to see a campaign to convince me they need it, that I might give willingly, rather than have them stick their hands in my pockets.

[timv.livejournal.com]

You mean like the education system I don't trust, the medical I don't use, the welfare I don't believe in, and that road work that's never done?
Yeah yeah!! All that stuff!!

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

-laughs-
You're either far more optomistic than I, or far my sarcastic.
I can't tell which. :p

[timv.livejournal.com]

sarcasm

[metis2be.livejournal.com]

"if they do I'd expect to see a campaign to convince me they need it, that I might give willingly"

you know that if they made a campaign on why they needed your money, you would be spiteful of them wasting your money just to tell you why they need it.

also, this was in the papers today http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58808-2004May26.html
because if the taxes didn't take enough, they're now going to charge you more for everything else, too.