Interesting

[MikeBjerum]

You mean states like Wyoming? Sorry JC, you get $1.11 back for every dollar you pay. Here's a ranking amomg the states.
FQ13 who will note that Florida is subsidizing you at $.03 on the dollar. GET A JOB WYOMING!

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html

Quit your braggin' teacher boy!

Only four states getting less back than Minnesota.  We get back $0.72 for every dollar we pay in.

It would be interesting to see what all goes into those numbers.  I'm guessing that things like military bases, miles of interstate highway vs. population density, and national parks and monuments are a part of what could make up for some of the disparity.

[fightingquaker13]

Quit your braggin' teacher boy!

Only four states getting less back than Minnesota.  We get back $0.72 for every dollar we pay in.

It would be interesting to see what all goes into those numbers.  I'm guessing that things like military bases, miles of interstate highway vs. population density, and national parks and monuments are a part of what could make up for some of the disparity.

Indian reservations probably factor in too. All the schools, local police, roads welfare, etc. is federal. I'm still going to ride JC though.
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

Remember though guys, this hasn't been a one way power grab. A lot of state pols are happy to see the feds take charge. Why? Its about money and taxes. If most of the soveriegnty lay with the states, so would the responsibilty of raising revenue to support these programs. How many Florida or New Hampshire pols want to say "We need a state income tax"? Even if the federal tax rate were correspondingly reduced, local and state officials couldn't promise all that "free" stuff and it Tallahasse sending you the bill, not DC. Then there is the little matter of the majority of states getting more federal tax money then they pay. That would stop, and states would have to live within their own means. Good for Vermont or New York, but it would suck to be Alaska as the welfare train would stop. I'm not saying any of this is a bad idea, just pointing out that the state officials only complain about this stuff when it suits their interests.
FQ13

Only the Democrats, they have been saying it since the early 60's . We don't have one yet and the only time we go into the red is when the Dems are running the state.

[MikeBjerum]

And NH gets by with not only no state income tax, but they do it while only taking back $0.71 of each dollar they send to the feds.

Once again teacher boy screws up in his attacks by not thinking through the facts ... even when he is the one that provides them.

[tombogan03884]

No sales tax either.

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

So where do you get you cash?  Membership fees?

[fightingquaker13]

And NH gets by with not only no state income tax, but they do it while only taking back $0.71 of each dollar they send to the feds.

Once again teacher boy screws up in his attacks by not thinking through the facts ... even when he is the one that provides them.

Trouble with these numbers, though they are fun M58, is they ignore two huge areas. defense, which will remain federal, but also payroll taxes and SS/medicare. That's why Fl. and NH, even though we would save by refusing every federal INCOME tax dollar and going our own way, would still have to raise revenue on the rest. Its a nice little graph, and worth talking about and debating,  because there are things to be learned, but like always, SS is the 800 pound gorilla we all want to ignore.
FQ13

[Solus]

yeah...the SS problem.   But here is how SS has been done.

Suppose your employer withholds 7.65% of your salary for your retirement and future medical expenses. You have no choice in this withholding; it is a condition of your employment.

“Instead of investing your withholdings in an interest-bearing account for your use in your golden years, the employer spends those funds in any way he sees fit -- buying new equipment, paying current salaries, whatever.

“He does put an IOU in the account for the amount he has misspent. The employer does not list himself as the guarantor of the note, however. The employee is held responsible for the debt.

“This is exactly what Congress has done with the FICA withholdings -- multiplied by two. The 7.65% withheld from salaries and wages of U.S. workers as a condition of their employment is matched by their employer -- 15.3% of profits or salaries of the self-employed -- and placed in an ‘account’ for the benefit of the worker.

“Those funds are promptly spent by the government in any way Congress chooses. An IOU is issued to the Social Security Trust Fund with the worker and any future workers in the U.S. responsible for the repayment of the note.

“They take your money at the point of a gun, spend our money and then make it your obligation to repay it!

“And this in a ‘free market,’ a ‘free country’? NOT!”

[tombogan03884]

So where do you get you cash?  Membership fees?

Property taxes and (when the democrats aren't in office ) careful spending.
You need to remember, we are, unlike any one out side New England, Real Yankees.
A Real Yankee can by from a Jew and sell to a Scotsman and still make a profit.   

[MikeBjerum]

Trouble with these numbers, though they are fun M58, is they ignore two huge areas. defense, which will remain federal, but also payroll taxes and SS/medicare. That's why Fl. and NH, even though we would save by refusing every federal INCOME tax dollar and going our own way, would still have to raise revenue on the rest. Its a nice little graph, and worth talking about and debating,  because there are things to be learned, but like always, SS is the 800 pound gorilla we all want to ignore.
FQ13

SS is not a problem if we pay back our national debt.  We are into retired generations at this point that fully funded their Social Security and Medicare.  The problem is that the spenders could not manage to keep their fingers out of the cookie jar.  The average 65 year old Baby Boomer retiring today worked for 45 years and averaged $20k per year - $900k paid in.  Let's say the feds paid no interest on that money and took 25% for management and SSI for those not paying in - $675k in their account when they retire today.  $675k times 3% = $20,250 per year to split between Social Security and Medicare.

Now that I have that rant out of the way:

Outside of paying for Washington DC and all of our federally elected officials and their staff, what should the feds pay for?

1.  National Defense
2.  Interstate Highway System
3.  National Parks and Monuments
4.  Aid to foreign countries, or should I say protection money to foreign mafias
5.  Immigration