A comment from one of my friends on the previous post prompted me to share two online resources that will educate, enlighten, and entertain.
The first is a "tax receipt" online calculator provided by the White House as part of its commitment to increasing government transparency. It provides a breakdown of how your income taxes are disbursed across various categories. National Defense, for example, is the largest chunk, taking up 26.3% of our hard-earned tax dollars (and this doesn't include Veterans Benefits, which is an additional 4.1%). There's no room for doubt about the cost of American military might...
The second excuse for whiling away a gray Saturday afternoon is The New York Times' deficit reduction calculator. Here you can actually try out different budget cuts and see what their effects on the deficit will be in 2015 and 2030. Initially published online November 13, 2010, it's a terrific interactive resource that lays bare the sources of our financial woes. Why, I managed to balance the budget without touching Medicare, Social Security, or federal research programs.
have and will share this with others...thanks, psi
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