I believe that any thinking person would agree that our government spends our money in a myriad of inappropriate ways. Right? Because we have different priorities and philosophies we will disagree on whats reasonable, necessary, helpful or a waste of our tax dollars. Most of us would also agree that our spending habits are ultimately unsustainable. I also think that most of us would agree that the major areas of budget allocation need to be seriously revisited and reformed to include entitlements, foreign aid and possibly defense. In the middle of many discussions the topic of Food Stamps seems to find the center ring more than often. I personally find this something less than amusing for moral as well as budgetary reasons. Food? Really? WIC? Really? Think about this: According to a recent unchallenged analysis by the Cato Institute a family making $72,000 a year pays close to $6000 in taxes for these items: $870 for direct subsidies and grants to private corporations, farmers, promotion, research, fossil fuel subsidies etc. not to include tax preferences. $696 for federal and state business incentives. $722 for interest rate subsidies for banks like JP Morgan, Citibank and Wells Fargo. $1,268 in overpriced medicines due to government granted patent monopolies. $870 for corporate tax subsidies such as deferred taxes, graduated income and accelerated depreciation. $1,231 to make up for revenue losses from offshore corporate and individual tax havens. Now some may rally to defend these practices. Some will not. But beyond that discussion, what I find ridiculous is that many who are unwilling to at least examine these particular revenue expenditures while not recognizing the entitlement nature of these policies are more than willing under some inexplicable moral imperative to slice and dice the Food Stamp program that costs that same family in taxes $36 and change for the same 12 month period. By the way, that $36 also covers the School Lunch Program and the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children. Really?
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 03:03:03 +0000
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