Ask anyone if they feel their taxes are too high and you will likely hear a resounding "YES".
Every year, we cringe at the thought of gathering together all the records, receipts, 1099s, W-2s and completing all the forms, making the final calculation of the income tax we must pay for this year. And then there is sales tax (also known as value added tax or gross receipts tax) on each purchase we make all through the year. If we own property or a car, we must also pay tax each year on their value.
But are we Americans paying too much tax? If we add up all the taxes that Americans pay and calculate the total tax as a share of national income we would discover the taxes we pay are lower than most other rich countries.
Yet, for as long as we can remember, Americans have rejected "government solutions" to such problems as health care, poverty, education, and environmental protection by refusing to pay the needed taxes.
At the same time we expect government to ensure that we have good roads, police protection to keep us safe, nice parks, safe food, snazzy airports, and a secure financial system; functions that are being met largely with mixed results and huge budget deficits.
This raises an obvious question - Will we agree to pay for the government we need?
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