>Think of taxes as the net amount you pay, forget pre-payments, witholdings, refunds, tax cuts, tax surcharges etc. There is a formula, and you pay some kind of net amount. So the second part of your post is completely meaningless. Nobody gives you anything back. (Except if you were on EIC, or some kind of welfare program). They only take from you, on net basis.
I'm aware.
>There are examples of economies of scale working completely counterproductively. You are familiar with the NYC school system, prior to the reorganizations they started this year, or with Medicare / Medicaid, where NY spends $9,000 per individual, which is probably more than what we pay to cover 4 member our family in a private insurance, and I bet we get a better service (and the private insurance company makes profit on top of this - and pays taxes).
But it doesn't have to be that way... obviously, bureaucracy has its plusses and minuses, and in its present state, the federal, state, and local governments screw things up, but it doesn't have to be that way, and what I'm arguing is that state-run programs have more positive potential than private ones do, even if it's just for the feeling of security that knowing that you're taken care of.
-Z |
