Show us where our tax dollars are really going

You say you spent 12 hours completing your tax forms this year but don’t have that feeling of accomplishment that comes from a job well done?

You say you want to pay what you owe, but GE and some of our wealthiest citizens don’t seem to be on that same page?

You say taxes are what we pay to provide the benefits of government to all members of our democratic society, but someone in Washington whose paycheck would not be in danger from a government shutdown calls your livelihood – military personnel, Medicare providers, unionized public service workers – non-essential “out-of-control spending”?

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Is that what’s bothering you, Bunky?

You’re not alone.

A pre-Tax Day poll by the Associated Press found that while in general Americans are slightly likely to say that they think the tax rate they pay is somewhat or very fair, a majority of those between the ages of 30 and 65 think they’re paying too much. Unmarried males are particularly unhappy with what they pay, although the divide between Democrats and Republicans isn’t as wide as Congressional posturing makes it seem.

Another study, by the Tax Policy Center, found that for the past two years, a family of four earning the median income has actually paid less in federal income taxes than at any time since at least 1955. The highest income tax bracket is the lowest since 1992, giving the United States the lowest revenues as a percentage of GDP of seven industrialized nations, according to the Congressional Research Services. We also have the lowest spending percentage, but the biggest gap between revenues and expenditures at 10.5 percent.

Could this have anything to do with record deficits?

We’ve heard lots about cutting federal spending, but we’re not entirely clear where all our tax dollars are being spent now. Wouldn’t it be great to get a receipt from the IRS showing how much of your annual contribution goes to which “out-of-control” program?

An official federal tax receipt isn’t available yet, but you can generate your own at a website run by the think tank Third Way – www.thirdway.org/taxreceipt.

Enter the dollar amount of your federal tax bill and the site calculates exactly how much you ponied up for Social Security, Defense and Medicare (the top three budget items) as well as Arts and Culture, the District of Columbia and the White House (the bottom three).

Maybe some day we could say where our own dollars should go, too.