Everyone hates the national debt / deficit, but likes the spending.

By: Don Caldwell

Do you think we pay too much in taxes?


Excerpts italicized:


It's the deficit, all $1.47 trillion of it,  that has most people worried. Many of them are angry.
That's the issue that gave birth to the tea party movement and compels thousands to show up at rallies across the country with signs saying such things as "I'm Not Your ATM."


That's what has put the Democrats' congressional majorities in jeopardy, and has left Republicans poised for big gains. Yet there's more than a little contradiction in the position politicians and voters alike seem to be taking. We invited Yahoo! readers to give their views on federal spending in Ask America, a nonscientific polling forum, and many expressed concern -- in some cases outrage -- about the deficit. At the same time, however, many also focused as much on what not to cut as they did on the hard choices that must be made.


The bottom line with the candidates — as well as with many Ask America readers — seems to be: Cut spending, but not if it takes money from what's nearest and dearest to me.


User Donald voted for cutting back, with this caveat:  "Unless of course you intend to cut back on anything my family needs. … This is an easy position to take until it impacts you." Another Yahoo! user commented, "Why not start by cutting some of the free housing in every town in America for the deadbeats along with Medicaid, utility assistance, free dental, free health, etc. Leave my SS alone"


"It's a question of what do you get for your taxes," said Evans Witt, CEO of Princeton Survey Research Associates International, an independent research firm. "People are angry because they don't see a connection between what they're paying and what they're getting out of it."


That's what Tasha seemed to be saying in this Ask America comment: "I am tired of being in the half of U.S. citizens paying for the other half. Cut the entitlements"


(above – a visual guide to where all our taxes go…save or open in new tab to see full size.)


We all want a whole bunch of government service / guarantees, such as: social security, health care, public schools, utilities, mass transit, food stamps, affirmative action programs, job training, the military, DYFYS, or law enforcement
Most of us can pick a few of the programs listed above that we think could be cut. Was it the military (If you feel safe enough not to need it)? Healthcare (if you already have it)? Public schools (if you don’t have kids in private schools)? Mass Transit (if you don’t use it)? Affirmative action programs (if you are part of the majority)? Job training programs (if you have a job)? DYFS (if you don’t abuse your children)? Social Security (if you are young and know you are paying into a system you will never benefit from)?
The fact is that all of our government programs cost more than all the taxes we pay and then some. Too much for the American public to pay, yet what do we / can we cut? Are we ready to go back to a system where we take more of the responsibility of taking care of ourselves? Can we? Do we even remember how? Can the people of this country agree on anything that needs to be cut? Or will we face these questions when our deficits and debt become so high that we have no choice? Will it be too late then?

(ORIGINAL LINK) Everyone hates the deficit — but likes the spending - Yahoo! News