[Vision2020] Cost of Government Day!

[Ted Moffett]

Dale et. al.

Could you give us your source or sources for these facts and also provide an 
in depth analysis?

The absolute cost of government will go up, even if the cost per person 
remains constant, with population increases.  What percentage of the 
increased cost of government is due to population increase?

If the number of days the "average" American has worked to pay for 
government has increased 35 days since 2000, I assume this is an averaging 
across all incomes?  Is it or is it not?

We are getting a reduction in the federal income tax this year, and other 
types of taxation are being reduced, so how does this effect your figures?

If the taxation of millionaires and billionaires results in a large increase 
in the amount of tax collected, just because perhaps we have more 
millionaires etc. than before, this may mean that the "average" worker in 
the lower or middle classes is not really working 35 more days to pay for 
the government.  It may be a figure less than this.  If you are averaging 
the cost of government across all incomes, the higher tax rates of the upper 
classes will mean they "work" more days per year to pay for government, 
unless they skip out on their taxes utilizing the various methods the 
wealthy have at their disposal, than the lower and middle classes.

Many among the super rich do not need to "work."  They can increase their 
wealth, and live quite well, by just investing their money, letting someone 
else manage their wealth, and in effect live off the labor of others.  Often 
the money of this super rich class is invested off shore.  So much for the 
assumption that the Bush tax cuts benefiting the super rich will result in 
investment leading to jobs here in the USA for the "average" working person.

To say the super rich are "working" an extra 35 days a year, or whatever is 
really adds up to for them, to pay for government, is an insult to the 
average working women and men of the US doing the low paying labor many of 
these rich individuals would never consider doing.

As you well know, throwing out a bunch of statistics and facts says almost 
nothing without knowing precisely what the numbers mean.  And in human 
terms, as we say, not just economics and statistics!

Ted

>From: "Donovan Arnold" <donovanarnold@hotmail.com>
>To: dale@courtneys.us, vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Cost of Government Day!
>Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2003 07:55:36 -0700
>
>Dale,
>
>What is the cost of not having a government? How much does the Government 
>save us in the long run?
>
>Donovan J Arnold
>
>>From: "Dale Courtney" <dale@courtneys.us>
>>To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>>Subject: [Vision2020] Cost of Government Day!
>>Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2003 06:58:13 -0700
>>
>>July 11 was the "Cost of Government Day".
>>
>>*	Total Cost of Government: $4.96 Trillion
>>*	Per Person Cost of Government: $17,017
>>*	Number of Days worked to pay for government: 193
>>
>>The cost of government change from 2000-2003: 9.7% increase
>>
>>*	Federal Spending: 12.4% increase
>>*	State/Local Spending: 6.6% increase
>>*	Federal Regulations: 8.4% increase
>>*	State Regulations: 8.5% increase
>>
>>Bottom Line: The average American has worked a cumulative 35 more days to
>>pay for the cost of government since 2000.
>>
>>You are now free to earn income for the rest of the year to pay for your
>>other needs and wants.
>>
>>Dale Courtney
>>Moscow, Idaho
>
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