Small rant

[worldoflucky]

Why is it always people who have never looked at the government's financial statements (any, city, state, etc) scream how the government has too much fat? Please, do me a favor and actually do some research before spouting off facts that I know are not true just by my profession. There are areas that need improvement (and I highly recommend all governmental agencies need performance audits). However, the whole idea that you can keep cutting expenses is ludicrous. You are only cutting off your nose to spite your face. Civilization needs taxes, people have to pay in, and currently we pay the least amount of taxes in 60 years while in a two front war and excessive public safety (police) expenditures.

Oh, and no you can't selectively decide you don't like a part of the governments expenditures and scream your taxes shouldn't go for that. I am against both wars we are in and against paying for police to restrict crimes that have no victim (moral based crimes) which I disagree with, but I don't scream you can't have my money. Just suck it up and play like you belong in civilization, otherwise go up into the mountains and live on land without power, emergency services, roads, environmental protection or FEMA.

 

Just a small irritation (and no, no one that can read this is who I am frustrated at, these were public people's comments to me while I was working today).

Comments

[jajy1979.livejournal.com]

I get the feeling most accountants who have any kind of background in government feel this way.

What annoys me is when I get people like my buddy Wes who do this, and they are accountants, notably I find it most often with the TAX accountants (which he is).

I regularly end up in debates where I point out the stupidity of people when it comes to taxes, federal dollars effect on economics (and economics in general), civics and civic duty, and government's history and role. We just are not educating people anymore to any of these things and it's created a very, very stupid, gullible, and dangerous electorate.

[bardon.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it, mate! I've worked in gov't for 6 years and the snarky, rude, offensive comments I get from people about how lazy I must be and how wasteful we are really torques me off.

[sifyra.livejournal.com]

No kidding.. :( I have a few friends that are state workers and I know how much they work their arses off and how miserable they sometimes feel when coming home, because they didn't have the funding to help all the people that they wished they could. It seems sometimes that the folks with the loudest of opinions tend to be the ones with the least amount of facts.

[jajy1979.livejournal.com]

You should see the assholes around here. They scream bloody murder about the state and feds and how much pork there is, and how we shouldn't be wasting money. Problem? This entire damned city is one fucking teat for the government. Seriously, over 30,000 (more than 10% of our jobs) are federal, and a huge percentage of the rest are based on or linked to FEDERAL DEFENSE CONTRACTORS and NASA CONTRACTORS! Damned ignoramuses are happy to yell about how everyone else is bad, screwed up and incompetent, and how all this spending is unnecessary... except when we're talking about THEIR pork and THEIR jobs. Then it's "NATIONAL DEFENSE!" and they're 'special little snowflakes".

I hate this city...so damned much.

[sartan0.livejournal.com]

We do have historically low taxes. (And they will eventually have to go up) The Bush tax cuts cannot be extended forever. That is why everyone who can afford to should be doing a Roth IRA or life insurance (Whole not term) or something else that is taxed now as their savings for retirement.

[jajy1979.livejournal.com]

People forget... Obama lowered taxes almost as soon as he moved into the White House.

I'd save more, but right now I'm working on finding a job.

[jesse-dylan.livejournal.com]

I work extra hours so I can feed my IRA. :) I'm kind of proud of it. I wish I would have started it when I was 18 instead of when I was 28, though. Oh well.

[jesse-dylan.livejournal.com]

I don't get it either, but I'm not one of the people who thinks that way. I tend to think it's the responsibility of the people, and the government, to care for the less fortunate (God forbid!). I see how much of my paycheck goes to taxes. I also see how other countries are run, where they pay a LOT more taxes, and I see how happy the people are, how well cared for they are. Isn't that more important than a big TV, a speedboat, an SUV?

I dunno. Ugh. I think it's just a slogan, a tired refrain. I don't think people actually understand what they're saying. They hear it, and they say, "Yeah!" and repeat it.