Where Does the Government Get All That Money?

An In-depth Analysis of Government Expenditure

Do you know how much money they government take in every year? I'm talking about all of it not just the federal tax revenue. All the state, local and federal taxes, how much does that add up too? You have no idea do you? Why not? If we're supposed to be a government of the people by the people shouldn't we know how much of our money our government is taking?

Think of it like a corporation. If we're the shareholders in this Ponzi scheme wouldn't we get a year report of income and expenses. In this case tax revenue and expenditures. Why don't we get that? Why don't we demand it? Every single corporation in the world produces a basic annual report. And, I don't think I have to tell you if the company were losing money year over year the shareholders would probably fire the management. Don't you think? So, why do we the tax payers accept anything less? When I tell you how much money our government spends you're going to look at this differently.

What if corporations ran their finances like our government. Every business in the country would be out of business. Why have we come to expect this mis-management from government. I'm talking about lower taxes and no debt. Why don't we expect both. Instead we argue over which one's worse. Why don't we demand lower taxes and a balanced budget?

In order to have a proper conversation about government spending and mismanagement we need to switch gears for a minute and go back to the question, what do you expect from government? It's a basic truth, the more you expect to get the more it will cost. I think there is broad agreement that there are some basic functions government should provide. Military, police, roads and things like that. But, where do we go from there? I'll tell you there are a lot of well-meaning and very intelligent people who want to see the role of government expanded. They want more government. Well let's talk about costs because any conversation about all this without considering the cost is pretty much a waste of time, suicidal or both.

Look at all the taxes we pay. There's a tax on darn near everything. Of course there's income tax that's the one that makes all the news. But, federal income taxes only affect about twenty five percent of the country. Only about half the population works, and of those working, forty seven percent are EXEMPT from federal income tax. But, we're all paying. There's state and local taxes. Real estate taxes. Even if you rent those taxes are reflected in your rent. There's sales tax, gas tax and even a tax on your phone bill. It goes on and on.

So, how much does it all add up too? Currently the federal government takes in about three trillion dollars and the state and local take in about another three trillion. What does all that mean? When we start talking about trillions of dollars I don't know about you but I usually just respond with 'WOW'. Let me make it a little easier to understand. Six trillion dollars in total tax paid divided by the population of the country which is about three hundred million is twenty thousand dollars for every man woman and child in the country. I don't know about you but that is an insane amount of money. Where the hell is it all going? What do we have to show for it?

The 2017 poverty level is twelve thousand a year for a single person. Six thousand per person for a family of four. I don't know how a family of four survives on twenty four thousand dollars a year but using that as a comparison and considering half the country works where is all the money going? Let's look at it another way. The average US household is 2.6 people. So the government is spending 2.6 times twenty thousand dollars a year or fifty two thousand dollars for every family. The median family income in this country is fifty six thousand dollars. So the REAL, effective tax rate in this country is fifty percent. Their taking HALF of everything. So when you hear about people talking about how great things are in Sweden and they get free this and free that but their tax rate is seventy percent we're already paying pretty close to the same thing. What do we have to show for it?

All this money being spent tell me all the accomplishments have been made. Has poverty been eradicated? Has hunger been eliminated? You know one thing that really bugs me. It really makes the point of the nature of this problem and the selfishness. Why don't kids get breakfast in school? First of all there has been study after study showing the positive impact academically when kids get breakfast. But also for some of these kids the only decent meal these kids get is that crappy school lunch. Why can't we feed them breakfast? You've got all this money being spent on public schools. All the whining teachers about their retirement and how they deserve this or that and the big school union fights for it.

Why aren't they the ones fighting to at least give the kids a stinking meal, make sure they're not hungry while their not on school property. This makes me nuts. Especially when I hear about kids being turned away from lunch because their stupid cards don't have any money on them. It happened to my son one time. I was freaking deranged for like three days. I don't know what happened they said thy sent an email and it's my responsibility. I'll tell you what I was seeing RED. I know some of these parents are dead beat, drug addict losers. SO WHAT! Feed the damn kids. God forgive me this makes me so angry. Millions and millions of dollars going into the public school system and there's kids sitting there hungry. It's a crime. They have no voice. Nobody's talking about it.

The point I was trying to make. The government is taking in twenty thousand dollars for every man woman and child in this country and tell me what problems the government has solved? The government takes half of our money. They don't tell you that. They take a little here and 4.5% there and sixteen percent of your adjusted gross this after you deduct that and you pay an accountant to tell you owe a little more. What are they doing with all of it? What problems have been solved?

I wish that was it but it's not. They've borrowed us into bankruptcy. You don't think it's coming? What other rational conclusion can you come too? Where else, what else can borrowing year after year after year lead too? I'm not an economist or a financial expert. I'm not some wizard with a magic wand over here. I'm just a common sense guy. What happens when a company loses money year after year after year. Eventually it goes away. Do you get that? So all this talk about economic growth. How about economic responsibility? And, for all you people that are complaining about tax cuts and saying you don't think there should be tax cuts how much is enough? How much do you propose to take?

We wonder why so many young people aren't very patriotic. Look at what we're offering. Tell me you'd be excited. Ok here's the deal kid. If you put your nose to the grind stone, do what's right, work hard you can succeed. What does that mean? Having half of your money taken away and funneled into a country that's headed for bankruptcy. Is it any wonder why they're not too excited? Would you be? How could you be?

When are we the people going to step up and take charge and say enough is enough? When are we going to demand a simplified, easy to understand tax system. When are we going to demand a clear and easy to understand accounting for the money and a balanced budget? All indications are that it won't be this year. So you're on the hook for another twenty thousand dollars. If you're a family of four you can take the first eighty thousand you make and kiss it good bye.