Quote:
Originally Posted by dogzilla
My opinion? First, limit entitlement programs strictly to those who are disabled and cannot work. Second, any non-essential government services are either funded on a self-supporting basis or they are closed. If I want to take advantage of a park, a daycare, cultural event or other non-essential government function, then I should have to pay for it. Third, until government debt is reduced to much more reasonable levels, government spending for anything other than key government responsibilities of defense, public safety and education is at best cut significantly and at worst held to no increases. Key government programs need justifiable reasons for any increases. And no, going off to Iraq and Afghanistan in search of problems is not justifiable. Fourth, public employee benefits are renegotiated downward. Fifth, earmarks, or whatever other pork Congressmen return to their districts is forbidden. Sixth, taxation is not to be used as a form of wealth redistribution.
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I've been reading this thread till now.
You've kind of strayed off the topic of the thread. The topic was actually municiple taxation and you've plowed right into Federal taxation.
Never the less, explain to me why national defense in the USA is a sacred cow. I seem to recall that the US defense budget is around a trillion dollars (if you factor in all the pork that takes 800 billion to a trillion) That's more than every other country in the world combined. When Bush took power, it was slightly less than 400 billion and that was insane. I believe there are 400 US Military bases.
Seems to me you could cut it in half and you'd still be the cock of the walk.
The fact of the matter is that no group of people complains about paying taxes more than Americans. It's a national treasure - bitch about your taxes to the point of absurdity.
Americans pay less tax, far less tax in fact than any other industrialized country in the world.
---------- Post added at 09:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 AM ----------
Getting back to the TOPIC of the thread - Municiple Taxes, i.e. property taxes....
It's interesting that the people of Colorado Springs (heard of it, have no clue about it, but it doesn't sound like a cool place to live) seem to think that cutting municiple services is a good idea. Typically, Municiple Services are the one thing that I support, much more than Federal.
Municiple Services are typically financed through property taxes and Municiple levies.
Municipalities typically deliver the services that we all notice and use the most - water, sewage, roads, bridges (where we live), parks, community centres, public transit, police, fire, ambulance, etc.
Cutting those sevices are really in your face cuts.
Take for example my own little corner of paradise - TORONTO.
I love living in Toronto. It's one of the best places in the world in which to live and I consider myself very proud of my town (even though I was born and raised in Hamilton and was bred to despise Toronto (that will only mean something to a few members of this board)). I support the City of Toronto in its endevours and the building of a better city.
My property taxes are almost exactly $5,000.oo a year.
I actually would not have a problem paying $6,000 a year IF (and it's a big if) it was being used to finance capital infrastructure construction - better roads, subways, water, parks, beaches, etc. or to better run the existing infrastructure we have.
The problem that I see in my Toronto world is that our current council and Mayor are a band of merry socialists and have a twisted sense of priorities. (In my humble opinion). Their budget is 9 billion dollars for a city of 2.5 million people and yet every year they are 500 million in the hole.