Would you give up your favorite government program if you never had to pay income tax

[WilliamC]

Turn the question around.

What government programs do you like so much that you send extra money, over and above what you legally owe, to the IRS so that they can fund them?

When the person says "why none of course" ask them why not.

It usually shuts them up pretty good from arguing that the government must do XY or Z.

 

[RonPaulwillWin]

Come to think of it I don't even have a favorite gov. program.

 

[PepperdotNet]

My favorite government program is the "Job Training so the employees of the former IRS can find a new job in the free market" program - but that could be privatized, no problem.

 

[Ara825]

Income tax is theft. In 1955 the IRS came into my home and took the food out of our kitchen because my father owed them money. I was just a little kid but I remember it. I hate the IRS so much that for years I settled for a lower wage to get cash under the table to keep from feeding that monster. There was a five year period in which I worked as a waitress. I was required to claim all my tips so I could give the guberment its share. If I did not claim enough I found when I received my W2 that the good ole guberment allocated the amount of my tips to justify what they felt they should get.

I hate the IRS

 

[PimpBlimp]

my favorite federal government program is the national parks. I could live without them though.

 

[sharedvoice]

I have no favorite government program...

 

[Staupostek]

I would continue driving on government roads, and I would continue using government water (i.e. tap water). So whatever programs build the roads and handle the water and sewers, I would not give up those. Although I guess I could have my own water tank, depending on where I lived.

When I was young, everyone who didn't live in the city had a well and septic tank. Now, it seems like the government is running water and sewer lines all over the country and requiring people to hook into it. So, even the places where government doesn't touch you, they are making sure to find you and force you to get everything through them. I say get rid of all of these kinds of services and let us take care of ourselves.

 

[evadmurd]

Isn't that like giving up your least favorite sin for lent?

 

[Staupostek]

my favorite federal government program is the national parks. I could live without them though.

Wouldn't groups like the Sierra Club and such buy these lands up and keep them as parks? I think this would be a good thing since the government already owns so much of the land in America.

 

[Cindy]

my favorite federal government program is the national parks. I could live without them though.

They could be privatized by preservation foundations and still run off of donations and park entrance fees

 

[Soccrmastr]

I've seen a Discovery Channel documentary where some space-companies and people were being hindered by NASA.

The market will always do better.

 

[daviddee]

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[daviddee]

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[newmedia4ron]

charity

 

[gaazn]

I admit I like the NPS, national park system. I truly believe that without it, if we let the market decide, then the parks will be gone. Look at all the Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields that are shrinking or disappearing. The government needs to be smaller, but not too small that the state and local governments become the tyrannical.

 

[MayTheRonBeWithYou]

Well it would be hard to get me to give up NASA!

 

[Myerz]

I'd say NASA is my favorite, but no since some major companies have began developing programs, we don't need it any more.

If we had given the space program to FREE MARKETS we would have already been to MARS!

 

[daviddee]

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[MayTheRonBeWithYou]

If we had given the space program to FREE MARKETS we would have already been to MARS!

Yeah right! I don't think so. That's like saying we could leave the military up to markets. There are a few limited things that government can do well, and space exploration is one of them.

 

[BuddyRey]

I've been asked this question before and, forgive me for playing Devil's Advocate, but I think it's based on a false premise; chiefly, that one who believes in the necessity of certain government programs only does so out of self-interest. There are a lot of people out there who have no need for government programs, but want them for other people out of charitable spirit. Whether or not this is a misguided worldview is up for debate, but most people I hear advocating government programs (and I don't just mean politicians, but normal people) do so for those less fortunate than themselves.