Where would you like your tax dollars to go?

[paulpablo]

I think it's the kind of question where if you were to seriously answer this question properly it would involve your hair turning grey and it would take a year or so to put a proper answer down.

I'll take a stab in the dark and say America should probably decrease spending on the military.  The statistics I've seen about America's military spending has always made me think the amount is pretty crazy.

But saying that I just don't know.  I don't even known enough about politics and American military in general, ontop of that myself, and I imagine no one else on this forum, has access to military intelligence.

I think it's difficult enough to decide what money would be spent on in any individual town so looking at an entire countries spending in a forum thread would be pretty futile.

I think in England we need more spending and more wise spending involved with the NHS.  It's always been bad but I've heard some horrible stories recently from people who went to the local hospital to me.

I'm also very suspicious of forign aid paid for by taxes while cancer charities exist within a country. The politican is supposed to be paying for our healthcare yet it's going on another countries healthcare purely to make the politican look nice and charitable when he's using other people's money.

I have a similar suspicion about America funding Israel so heavily but again I have to say there's probably a list ten pages long on suspicious questionable things taxes pay for.

[KUSA]

FTL / Warp drive.

[The Industrial Atheist]

We have more military spending than the next 7 biggest spenders combined. We should cut that in half especially military bases where our presence is not needed or wanted.

Try to get the cost of college down to about what Canada's is which is a little more than half what it is here IIRC.

Implement single payer healthcare. It's been proven to be cheaper and to provide overall better care. I don't think free market healthcare has worked very well anywhere.

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Good point on Israel, Paul Pablo. We give them aid when they have universal healthcare and we don't. A lot of it is the Republicans pandering to ultra religous voters who believe the land belongs to the Jews because Gawd said so. A lot of them believe their genocidal space wizard will bless anyone who blesses Israel. More the voters than the politicians.

We shouldn't be funding Netanyahu's bombfest's in Gaza, that's for sure.

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[CapnAwesome]

No matter the country in which you live, or your location on the political spectrum, taxes affect you in some way.

The US is now looking at a proposed budget that cuts many social programs, including Federal Medicaid, after-school aid for low income families with children, Meals-on-Wheels for low income elderly, foreign aid, public broadcasting, the Coast Guard and more, while increasing funding for the military and the southern border wall.  They are also claiming that this budget is "compassionate", saying they won't ask a single mother or coal miner to pay for meals on wheels, but will ask them to pay for the military (all while not actually changing their tax burden one whit, mind you).  Also, many tax cuts for the top 1%.

So, what are your priorities?

I'd like to hear from our local Trump voters, but also other Americans, and foreigners, how would you prioritize your own tax dollars if you could?

Personally, I understand the need for some military and security spending of course, but it would be much lower on my priority list.  We already have the largest military in existence by quite a bit.  We could cut it in half and still have an enormous and over-bloated military.  cutting three quarters of it seems more reasonable to me.  Withdraw from exterior conflicts and invest more of that money in foreign aid.

Basically, my order would reverse that of the current administration.  I would like to see my tax dollars go to:
1. Improve public education.  This would include brick and mortor schools, but also programs such as PBS, and encowments for arts and humanities.
2. Medical aid for those living in poverty.
3. Useful infrastructure (bridges, schools, roads, Wind mills, solar plants, etc)
4. Food and clothing aid for those living in poverty.  Including welfare, meals-on-wheels, WIC, school lunch funding, nutrition education, etc.
5. Research and applications for protecting the environment.
6. Security spending, including military and Coast guard.
7. Increase the tax burden on the wealthy, decrease it on the middle class and poor.

The wall shouldn't even exist, imho, not one penny more should go towards what is already there.

I'm sure I'm missing a few things from my lists.  Please let me know what is important to you?  What would you reduce spending on?  What would you eliminate entirely?

And for Trump voters, do you agree with the proposed budget?  Do you feel it is in the best interest of most/all US citizens to greatly reduce and/or eliminate social programs and increase our military?

Didn't you hear, Mexico is going to pay for the wall.

[c172]

--free healthcare
--LIVEABLE pensions for those with long term or permanent mobility impairments, regardless of ability to work
--federal police, fire, and rescue
--build more prisons and update current ones
--free education through 2 years of college. Free classes in "Life 101", both as part of high school curriculum, and beyond. 
--cystic fibrosis and other NON-cancer concerns, both on a QOL level and a cure level
--redirect combat spending to vocational education

[John V]

Where would you like your tax dollars to go?

Actually I'd like them to stay in my pocket as much as possible.

If you're being honest the question should really be, Where would you like other people's tax dollars to go?

[ukatheist]

My spending priorities would be:

Social - everyone should​ have habitable accommodation, and enough 'benefits' to have their basic needs met, depending on their circumstances. Free healthcare at the point of delivery. Decent free education until the legal school leaving age. I don't agree with blanket free higher education, but think there should be social programmes and low cost student loans for those unable to afford it otherwise, plus discounts on certain courses where there are skills shortages as and when required.

Once those are properly funded, the remainder to go on
- environment including transport, energy and infrastructure
- police and fire
- defense
- the arts/culture
- overseas aid

And I'm happy to pay my fair share actually.


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[Crunchy]

Where would you like your tax dollars to go?

Actually I'd like them to stay in my pocket as much as possible.

If you're being honest the question should really be, Where would you like other people's tax dollars to go?

No, I'm sure it's perfectly honest to ask where you want your tax dollars to go.
Of course people want the benefits of living in a modern and safe nation without having to pay a cent for it. In case you didn't realize it, there are no free lunches.

[Aroura]

Where would you like your tax dollars to go?

Actually I'd like them to stay in my pocket as much as possible.

If you're being honest the question should really be, Where would you like other people's tax dollars to go?

Don't assume others feel the same as you do. I know it's hard to imagine sometimes, when you have selfish tendancies, to try and see things from other perspectives. Thats why I asked the question, to see other perspectives. Thank you for being honest about yours, though.

Since I'm not not an utterly selfish twat, I'm actually fine with a portion of my money going to pay for public things. Roads, museums, schools, etc. Even things I don't personally use, like public schools, are important. I actually feel real emotional empathy for the suffering of others, so find it important to reduce that suffering, and improve lives. Durang all the years I worked, I never balked or felt resenful at the taxes I paid. I didnt like everything my taxes paid for, but that's why i voted on where my local taxes would be spent.

Even if you go from a selfish perspective, helping others is important. You see, it benefits me for everyone to have a good education, because it reduces crime, and improves public health and general wellbeing. It's good for everyone when your gas station attendant can read and follow directions. It helps everyone when a widowed elderly person has adequate care, because someday that might be your parent, or even you. It is good when the child of a single mother living in a poor neighborhood has access to after school programs, so mom can work and the kid has something more productive to do than join a gang. If they are all happy and healthy, then they have less chance of doing something that negatively impacts my life.

Ive noticed a really interesting pattern, something i find truly curious. The majority of non religious or semi religious folks i know, talk to, or see discussing this topic are. more concerned for the welfare of the poor and disenfranchised than the majority of those claiming to be deeply religious, particularly Christians. Ive seen some Christians express this same confusion. They follow Christ in word and deed, and cannot understand why so many others who call themselves Christians disdain the very people Christ said to help.
I guess your own wallet is more important than the teachings of man-god you claim to follow.

[popeyespappy]

Higher immediate spending priority - safely decommission and scrap enough military weapons, bases and asset to reduce long term military spending by 2/3.

If we reduced defense spending by 2/3rds  we'd owe all them thar Uropeons money because we wouldn't be meeting our NATO defense spending obligations...