Posted on 03/25/2007 1:35:33 PM PDT by RKV
While many studies answer the question of who pays taxes in America, the question of who gets the most government spending is often overlooked. Just as some Americans bear a larger portion of the nation's tax burden than others, some Americans also receive a larger share of the nation's government spending.
This report summarizes the key findings of a comprehensive 2007 Tax Foundation study of federal, state and local taxes and government spending. The results show that when we consider the distribution of government spending as well as taxes, it provides a dramatically altered view of how U.S. fiscal policy affects Americans at different income levels than is apparent from the distribution of tax burdens alone.
Overall, we find that America's lowest-earning one-fifth of households received roughly $8.21 in government spending for each dollar of taxes paid in 2004. Households with middle-incomes received $1.30 per tax dollar, and America's highest-earning households received $0.41. Government spending targeted at the lowest-earning 60 percent of U.S. households is larger than what they paid in federal, state and local taxes. In 2004, between $1.03 trillion and $1.53 trillion was redistributed downward from the two highest income quintiles to the three lowest income quintiles through government taxes and spending policy.
Put that on the front page:
"Government gets money from people who have money"
Wouldn't it be nice if the Government had to seek money by getting each or our permissions, invidually. Like political parties used to, before they, to went to the Government trough.
So it could be said with some certainty that the slackers in America make out thanks to Uncle Sugar!
"Overall, we find that America's lowest-earning one-fifth of households received roughly $8.21 in government spending for each dollar of taxes paid in 2004."
But the lowest-earning one-fifth has no net worth.
Therefore, the logical conclusion is that they don't hang on to the money for long.
In fact, in many cases the money is paid directly to middle or upper class professionals such as doctors and teachers, who provide services to the bottom fifth.
Where the lowest fifth spend the money is meaningless. What is meaningful is that that parasites are going to kill off the host someday.
"From each according to their means, to each according to their needs." - Karl Marx
We gave the politicians the power to buy votes with other people's money when we did away with limited government in the 1930s. Up to the 1st World War, the Federal government averaged under 5% of our domestic product, now it regularly runs at 19%.
Sounds like public education did what it was designed to do, eh?
"What is meaningful is that that parasites are going to kill off the host someday."
When, and we are very close now, the lowest 50% of income earners pay zero income taxes, we'll have turned the corner toward economic and political disaster.
That said, the blame really belongs to the politicians. The lower income classes have no more control over this travesty than do any of the rest of us.
now the big question .... what is the breakdown of those quintiles as far as individual and family incomes?
Income is not a good measure of net worth.
Many seniors own their own home yet have very little income even though they may have a modest amount of savings while receiving substantial benefits, particularly medical.
What's worse is they show up on the poverty statistics because of their low income while being far better off than younger people who still have to pay for their housing and have no other assets or savings.
Right you are. When the takers' take exceeds the givers' gifts, the whole set-up will implode. It will happen first...
...in Kalifornia.
No. The blame lies with the voter.
California isn't the highest tax state.
East coast has California beat on that front.
ping
I say California simply because of the entitlement mentality that has developed there, especially with regard to free benefits for immigrants and for college students. It's merely my prediction, and, as such, is certainly open to gainsaying. Thanks for responding with facts.
Sounds like the thing to do is to find a few tens of million really low earners who are in the country illegally, and make them citizens, so that they can soak up more trillions we got lying around.
Well prop 187 was passed by 59% of California voters to deny illegals all state benefits and it was struck down by the courts as "unconstitutional"... So it wasn't the voters who decided that.
That appears to be the plan of both political parties.
How exactly will they kill us? We have all the wealth, all the brains, plus the police and the army.
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