Proud of Some of What My Tax Dollars Fund: National Weather Service + Plowed Roads + Public Libraries
Just looking at my paycheck. Taxes! Yes, it would be nice to have that money in my check to support my life. BUT, I think I must be the only person who thinks that being in a position where I do earn enough to pay taxes is not a bad thing. Taxes do some great things! I wish our taxes seemed a bit fairer, but that is another story. This is about the fact that paying taxes should be more of something to be proud of and what our taxes impact our lives. There are of a lot of things I wish my taxes were not supporting, but there are a bunch of thing I am happy to help support or have helped to develop. As Oliver Wendell Homes said “I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization.” I agree.
1. Medicare
2. Social Security
3. US Military.
4. National Guard.
5. 911.
6. The police.
7. The fire department.
8. Paved road, highway, interstate and bridge.
9. Public restrooms.
10. Public schools.
11. Garbage collectors.
12. Clean air.
13. Clean water.
14. National Parks.
15. Public museums, zoos, and monuments.
16. FDA inspected food and medicines.
17. Public playgrounds.
18. Sidewalks.
19. Public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
20. Shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
21. Educational or job training assistance when you lose your job.
22. Food stamps when you can’t feed your children.
23. Judiciary system for any reason.
24. A court attorney.
25. Pell Grants.
26. Discoveries by labs using federal dollars.
27. Federally regulated airplanes.
28. Cool stuff that can be traced its development back to NASA.
29. National Weather Service.
30. Federal housing.
31. THE INTERNET!
32. School lunches or breakfasts.
33. FEMA.
34. Firearms- most have been developed with support of the US Government and military.
35. USDA inspected produce and meat.
36. Vehicle that has been inspected by government safety agencies.
37. Consumer Protection Agency.
38. Banks that are FDIC insured.
39. Veterans benefits or military health care.
40. G.I. Bill to go to college.
41. Unemployment benefits..
42. Building codes.
43. Public office, politicians are paid with taxpayer dollars.
44. FBI, S.W.A.T, the bomb squad, Homeland Security, State troopers, etc…
45. Government job whatsoever as all state and federal employees are paid with tax dollars.
46. Public libraries.
47. National Archives.
48. Presidential Libraries.
49. Airports that are secured by the federal government.
50. National Forests.
51. Medical care from places that use federal dollars.
52. Medicaid.
53. WIC.
54. Army Corps of Engineers.
55. Coast Guard.
56. Historic landmarks.
57. Animals that are federally protected because of the Endangered Species List.
58. Plowed roads.
59. Access to federal land.
60. A safe workplace because of government regulations.
61. Public transportation.
62. Public water fountains.
63. Copyright laws.
64. Criminal justice systems
65. Restaurants regulated by food quality and safety standards.
66. US Embassy if you need assistance in a foreign nation.
67. United States passports.
68. US patents.
69. Adopting a child through your local, state, or federal governments.
70. Elevators that have been inspected by federal or state safety regulators.
71. Resource that was discovered by the USGS.
72. Energy assistance from the government.
73. Beach’s that is kept clean by the state.
74. Money printed by the US Treasury.
75. State university.
76. Medical Professionals licensed through the state.
77. The CDC.
78. Trains, the railroad was built with government financial assistance.