OL FU wrote:
yes we have had these discussions before. It would be interesting to actually see where the money is spent. Are the expenditures ask for items or thrust upon the states items. I have no clue. But it doesn't change the debate on this topic. The Federal government requires the states to spend money without funding and that shouldn't happen. As far as the expenditures above are concerned I suppose it depends on whether the feds are paying for items that they require or are the states requesting the money. Maybe you know and can enlighten. I would love to find out.
Either way, one of the problems with the entire system is that the feds take too much money and really don't leave enough room for the states to tax as they see fit.
It would interesting to see the breakdowns, but I'm just spit balling and haven't looked into it.
And I don't neccessarily disagree with you.
As Z pointed out, donks don't understand the effects of unfunded mandates which is partly correct. But I think this truly goes both ways and the conks fail to understand the effects of de-funded mandates. I'll give you two examples:
1) Bush's War in Iraq
2) In Washington State we have a very active anti-tax lobby that a decade ago successfully got an initiative passed (I-695) that slashed license plate tabs (among the highest in the nation at the time). Many small communities and under populated counties were especially hit hard as they relied more upon this tax revenue from the state to fund services. The following year, the City of Cheney, facing a severe budget crunch, considered closing its Parks and Rec department unless a small property tax could be raised (which would have been less per household than what they saved on the license tab fees)
A friend of mine with children voted no claiming that the city was using scare tactics and the bloated government would somehow come up with the funding anyway.
The tax raise failed, Parks and Rec shut down for 3 years, and each summer my friend had to listen to his kids say thanks for closing down the aquatics center, Dad.
The same story repeated itself in communities across the state where budgets were cut from police and fire services to snow removal and street repair.
That's not to say that government isn't bloated and wasteful or that taxes are always the answer, but I think that case gets way overblown. Everybody likes living in America, it's just that no one seems willing to pay for it.