"N2EY" wrote in message
om...
"Kim" wrote in message
...

I'd rather a majority of "our money" (it's really the government's)
go right here...in the United States...to rebuild and repair our
infrastructure, to all education levels, to assist in the social and
civil
disasters that are taking place right here within the boundaries of our
50
states. : |

So would I, Kim. Plus a balanced budget.

But it's easy to say that. The hard part is deciding how much you're
willing to give up to make it happen. By "give up", I mean things like
higher taxes, higher prices on many things, lifestyle changes, a
redeining of the USA's role in world politics, etc.

For example, would you be willing to pay the same prices for fuel that
Western Europeans do? Much of the difference is taxes, not production
cost. That's why so many Western European countries have such good
roads, trains and transit systems - because much of the fuel tax goes
to support clean, efficient public transportation.

73 de Jim, N2EY


You know what? I am not so sure that it would take all that much, Jim. I
am not even going to pretend to be a financier, but I wonder how much of the
Federal Budget, i.e. your and my tax dollars, get spent away from our
country. Then, how much foreign debt is "forgiven" each year? It goes on,
I was thinking about this on the way to work this morning: oh yeah,
not-so-smart subsidies, grants, etc. Salaries on superfluous government
personnel *and* programs. I mean, a real mowing down of all the debt that
is incurred each year, against what really, really needs to be spent.
Pretty quick, and I doubt your dipping into peoples' pockets much at
all...really.

But, if it meant a) one tax for all--no tax breaks for any, at about 10-14%
per person and entity, b) taxing even religious institutions--anything
outside of actual *church* and parish properties, c) cutting the fat from
the equation, both in terms of programs and personnel; and there was still a
need for higher taxes, I'd be willing to pay my *fair* share.

Kim W5TIT