What benefits have you received from taxes?

[Life_is_Simple]

This is related to the thread "so who pays no income tax?"

I was thinking about what benefits I received over the years from taxes I or other people have paid into the system. Some are from tax money, and some from laws created by people in govt who we support with tax money.


public education - the education itself, and particularly high school athletics
University grants & aid. Taxes supporting state university I went to
Local Road funding. I don't like potholes
Car safety laws. Save lives/injuries during accidents
One Stop Career Centers - I would sometimes use these in getting jobs
Americans With Disability Act
Family and Medical Leave Act
HIPAA - The Portability part. When my health was bad, this law enabled me to change jobs and be covered immediately by the new jobs health insurance. It used to be you would have to wait a year for a new health insurance to cover pre-existing conditions.
COBRA - I could quit a job, and still have get health insurance
Massachusetts Health Care law. I can be self-employed, and buy health insurance, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

I've always paid a LOT of taxes, and rarely itemize or have deductions (no kids, no mortgage, nothing). Plus, self-employment tax is rough. But I always felt lucky that I didn't need much help, so that less fortunate could get help.

When I got sick, there was some safety net for me - a lot of the health-related laws above were sponsored or co-sponsored by Ted Kennedy. So that made me feel like someone out there was looking out for me.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Locally, my public library. I never complain about the portion of my property taxes that go toward library funding.

[mattj]

The privalege of arguing with libertarians. :-)

I'll add... safe drinking water, the imperfect judicial system, food safety. There are a lot really. Peace/police officers and firefighters, air traffic control, usps, libraries.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Quite honestly with the way the state budget is going there's not going to be anything left to get any benefit from (note: I don't mean welfare, I mean universities, state parks etc..). So grumble, no everything is NOT just wonderful. It is an extremely badly run state ...

[Life_is_Simple]

I was just there a few nights ago. Also, when I was growing up, my Mom would drive to do errands, and drop me off at the library! I loved it! :+1:

[Life_is_Simple]

The privalege of arguing with libertarians. :-)

heh heh!


I'll add... safe drinking water, the imperfect judicial system, food safety. There are a lot really. Peace/police officers and firefighters, air traffic control, usps, libraries.
Oh yeah, police and firefighters!

I have been lately thinking about how reliable the USPS is. They're pretty good actually. There are some things that do not fit well within their system, like temporary mail-forwarding - I find that to be highly unpredictable. ;) But even with that, you know that someone has your mail, and it will eventually get to you. :D

[freein05]

So many people why can't the USPS be run like UPS and FedEx. I agree the USPS runs good and only cost .43 cents for a first class letter. UPS and FedEx cost something like $7.00.

With the cuts going on in California who knows what the state will look like in a few years. There are something like 10 or 20,000 fewer slots at the junior colleges in the state and even more cuts and at state universities. The roads will start falling apart. At the state park I volunteer at we had a meeting and were informed that they have had to cut back on maintenance staff so the restrooms and showers will not receive the cleaning and attention they would normally get.

[Kestra]

I couldn't even begin to list them. But I'm Canadian and quite satisfied with my tax rate and my quality of life in this country.

[dmc]

Like everyone, I have received some benefits. But for the amount I've paid it is a poor value. And to make matters worse, they are borrowing 40 cents more on every dollar they take in.

[Simplicity]

I couldn't even begin to list them. But I'm Canadian and quite satisfied with my tax rate and my quality of life in this country.

Really? I was just thinking yesterday about this and between the 13% sales tax on every single thin you buy, except most groceries: the - what is it now - 50% gas tax?; 30% tobacco tax (guessing), 27% income tax; property tax - whatever that is; and whatever other tax I've forgotten I really feel very over-taxed!

As far as services that i use - medicare, very occasionally at this point in my life. Roads and bridges - I really think the extraordinary gas tax covers that and then some. The idea that police and firefighters are there if I ever need them. I attended public school 20 years ago, I suppose. That's really it.

Maybe I am way off, or don't appreciate what I have, I don't know. But I think I pay way more taxes than I use in services.

[early morning]

I'm OK with our deal, actually - for our taxes, we get police and fire protection, roads built, cleared, repaired; free education through high school for us all; loans for post-secondary education (mine are paid in full, but DS will be paying for years); courts, jails/prisons for at least some of those who prey on society; at least some politicians who have some of my interests at heart; the library, parks and public hunting lands; SS for DH, and I'm one of those "evil public employees" so I guess some of MY taxes help to pay my salary, too!

[ljevtich]

What benefits have you received from taxes?
This is my list, while not complete, you get the idea.

public education - the education itself
Taxes supporting state university I went to
Local and Federal Road funding. I travel all over the country
Car safety laws. Save lives/injuries during accidents
One Stop Career Centers - I would sometimes use these in getting jobs
COBRA - I could quit a job, and still have get health insurance
National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service - all helping keep lands safe and available in different ways
Bureau of Reclamation for water and energy (think Hoover Dam!)
Libraries - extremely important anywhere you go
Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act for keeping the pollutants out of my air, water, and soil.
while I am not fond of the military actions going on now, the military is important in our world.

[bae]

- I get to see the products of my labor used to build bombs to drop on children in foreign lands in my name, and to hire armies to oppress people who have done me no harm.

[mira]

^ I think that has to go on my list, too...

But more positive things include...
- healthcare
- education (including university education and general interest classes)
- libraries and museums
- parks and other public spaces
- emergency services
- water, refuse collection
- financial support when either my partner or I have been unemployed
- second homes for politicians. HA.

I really wish I could add public transport to that list, but unfortunately it's privatised in my city. Also, I want to say "roads", but they are in terrible condition in my area! "Sales tax" (VAT here) has just been raised to 20%, so that's always fun!

[redfox]

Well, both my elder parents are receiving SS income, as did my grandparents. And Medicare. These are a huge help for our entire family. I also appreciate having a Federal government, even though they frequently drive my nuts. Ditto our state & local govt.'s.

Let's see, more immediately - paved roads, clean water, licensed medical practitioners, & the dog catcher who successfully got my neighbors to shut up their yappers.

[iris lily]

What' the point of this thread? Making laundry lists of tax supported goods and services for what reason?

So to bring this to point, I'd say: what's your favorite TOP 3 tax supported services?

I'd say:

Public library
Garbage service
Police

All of these are local.

[bae]

So to bring this to point, I'd say: what's your favorite TOP 3 tax supported services?


The court system and police
The parks and public conservation lands
The public school system

Here where I live, those are all almost entirely locally funded.

Probably 3/4s of the roads here are private, the water systems are private, the electrical system is a local cooperative, most of the sewer systems are private, there's a village sewer system that is funded by a local taxing district, the library is funded by a local taxing district, garbage is self-hauled.

There's very little in the way of state or federal service provided, though plenty of interference.

YMMV