dlo@drutx.UUCP (OlsonDL) (11/16/85)
[] The following article appeared in the Saturday Nov. 16, 1985 edition of Denver's Rocky Mountain News. The entire article is printed, without permission, in quotes; the words between brackets are mine: "WASHINGTON (AP) - The Census Brueau says the typical American paid $267.04 more in federal, state, and local taxes last year than the year before. Americans paid $3,112.42 each in fiscal 1984 taxes. That was up 9.4 percent from the prior year, according to the study 'Government Finances in 1983-1984'. The biggest chunk of revenue came from individual income taxes, with the three levels of government collecting $1,526.85 from each American. That was up from $1,470.49 in 1983." [What's this about cuts in income tax revenue, Tim? Remember, federal level is also included in this.] "Sales, receipts, and customs taxes were second at $692.57 per capita, up from $618.50, followed by property taxes at $408.44, up from $381.46. Corporate income taxes, which are actually also PAID BY INDIVIDUALS INDIRECTLY," [their words, but capitalized by me for emphasis] "cost Americans $313.09 apiece, up from $219.16. Spending per American, totaling all three levels of government, included: * National defense and international relations, $1,050.31, up from $977.70." [+7.4%] "* Old age, survivors, disability, and health benefits, $993.05, up from $946.61." [+4.9%] "* Education, $798.63, up from $754.97." [+5.8%] "* Interest on general debt, $583.95, up from $537.57." [+8.6%] "* Miscellaneous, $465.05, up from $461.04." [+0.9%] "* Public welfare, $374.43, up from $356.80." [+4.9%] "* Natural resources, $276.50, up from $234.02." [+18.1%] "* Employee retirement, $187.91, up from 172.04." [+9.2%] "* Hospitals, $174.96, up from $167.11." [+4.5%] "* Highways, $170.68, up from $159.05." [+7.3%] "* Postal Service, $112.72, up from $100.70." [+11.9%] Assuming my calculations are correct, the defense + interest on the national debt (people on the political left keep wringing their hands over those) + international relations spending totals $1,634.26, up from $1,515.27, per person. Lot of money, but the non-defense/non-interest/non-internaltional -relations spending listed above totals $3,553.62, up from $3,352.34, per person. Interesting. Before you jump all over me, Tim, "Public welfare" stated above is only a *part* of the Social Welfare (their words) listed from my favorite almanac. The fact that the all of the Social Welfare programs do not go directly or exclusively to poor people does not change the fact that they still are classified as *part* of non-defense, most of which is controlled by HHS. I never said all went to poor people; only IF they did. Associating welfare with poor people is in *your* head, not mine. Understand? My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. David Olson ..!ihnp4!drutx!dlo
orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (11/18/85)
Those are interesting figures for overall tax receipts and
government expenditures, Dave. But once again you are
evading the question of the effect of the 1981 tax cuts
on federal revenues which was my point. Your only
figures on those revenues specifically contradict mine.
I am not sure how to account for the discrepancy.
As you are probably aware a number of states adopted tax
increases in the last few years to make up for losses
of federal revenue sharing and other federal funds.
The revenues lost because of the 1981 tax cuts amount to
hundreds of billions of dollars - a major contibutor to
the trillion dollars that Ronald Reagan has added to the
federal debt. Indeed Ronald Reagan has added more to the
federal debt than all Presidents from Washington to Carter
combined. We will pay the price for this eventually.
Francisco Modigliani, the recent Nobel prizewinner in
Economics, says that while deficits are not always bad,
the incredible size of the current deficits is robbing from
our children and future generations for temporary gains.
If we do not pay the bill now, we and our children will pay
the bills later.
tim sevener whuxn!orb