Entitlements

Originally posted by shavixmir
Don't Americans pay taxes to keep roads working, sewers flowing and jobless people from looting?

It seems to me the whole aversion of paying taxes, only to have to pay for the same benefits through some other means is utter madness.
It only serves the rich. Only ever has only ever will.

Taxes are created to benefit the majority of people. And surely that's always better than benefitting a minority?

ah crap, my garbage bill includes my water run-off from my property to pay for sewers, so i I can't call it a tax, rather a collection of fees??? ..{-)

Originally posted by normbenign
I go along with roads working, sewers flowing.....but jobless people from looting?

How is it right to stop looting by the government looting for them? Looters should be punished.

Taxation is in itself not immoral, but looting one group for the benefit of another is immoral. Immorality can't produce a moral society. It rots the culture from within.

Well, "looting" for one group at the expense of another probably happens with every tax and every expenditure. I don't support most wars, but I'm forced to pay for them while military contractors rake it in. There are hundreds of highways and freeways I'll never drive on, yet I have to pay taxes to build them. Money from taxes I pay will go to pay the salaries of emergency responders, police, and government personnel who will never serve me personally. There are many libraries I will never use, and in fact many books in my own local library I will never read. So by your logic, I should only have to pay taxes for the roads I will actually drive on, the books I will actually read, and emergency services I will actually need.

Originally posted by normbenign
Yes. Years ago, I thought the law placed a 4 year limit on direct welfare payments, during a lifetime. I was wrong, in Michigan new legislation is making that the law.

The constant extending of unemployment benefits, simply creates a new class of unemployables. After someone has gone two or more years without working, who even wants to take a chance on hiring this person?

And starving the "unemployables" solves what problem exactly? Lack of training for law enforcement personnel?