A politician recently said, to stimulate the economy, let's have every worker NOT pay ANY taxes for two whole months. They would have hundreds of dollars in their pockets to pay down bills, save, or spend instead of receiving "stimulus" checks of tax borrowed money. Business would love it because they wouldn't have payroll taxes; employees would love it because they don't pay income tax; the government should love it because it's an immediate boost to the economy without the added millions it costs to collect taxes and process the "stimulus checks" and mail them back to us. (Oh but wait, that would create jobs, right?) Sounds like a winner...but here's a catch.If we suddenly saw just how big our checks are without taxes, it would be such a shock. There is a kind of psychology at work when you have gradual increases in taxes taken out of your check a little at time rather than have your total income all year long and then have to pay a gigantic bill at the end of the year. It would be like paying for a car all at once for some people. Taking a little at a time is much easier. Plus having control of ALL your hard earned money, might wake people up to ask questions about where in the world is all this tax money going?
So...let's ask the question. Where in the world is all your tax money going? I have no clue...do you? Our new President is about ready to sign over a 787 billion dollar spending package that serves double duty to keep programs and "private" business afloat, while creating jobs in the energy efficient programs that he promised during his campaign. What about the $250 mil delegated to Hollywood for movies or $30mil going towards studying a mouse, or...you get the picture. Take it further and look at the evidence: The banks who took the TARP bailout a few months ago refuse to tell the public where they are spent the cash. Are we asleep here?
Take national down to state level and you will read an article about Arizona CPS workers being laid off and forced on furlough for three days, while the children go unprotected. The state asked for an 11% cut in CPS. Yes, things are tough, but I would have gladly gone without my Arizona Commission on the Arts grant I recently won if the money would have kept CPS open for three more days. The safety of abused children is way more important, but unfortunately, CPS is a business and the bottom lines are more important than lives.You as the tax paying citizen are customers of the government. They are paid by you and they work for you, yet no one I know of can account for where the money we pay goes. A quick sea
rch online led me to lots of websites that explain percentages of Arizona tax revenues, but absolutely nothing on what Arizona programs are supported by us, the customer. I encourage you to try and find out. If you find any websites with valid resources to provide financial transparency in Arizona, please send them my way. The more we know about this, the more influence we will have in saving and improving lives...the important stuff.State Tax Breakdown (2005)
Who is Left to Protect the Children?
End of Bailout Transparency Already?
A Guide to Bailout Transparency Sites
$246 Mil for Hollywood
$30Mil for SanFrancisco Mouse
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