Other Than Social Security and Medicare (Funded by Separate Payroll Taxes) as Well as Medicaid, the Top Federal Expenses are the Military and Interest on the National Debt

Do You Know Where Your Tax Dollars are Going?

November 9, 2010

FOX Business - Entitlement programs, the military, food stamps, federal agencies, highways…the list goes on and on, but do you really know where your federal tax dollars are going?

Are you like most Americans and just sign what seems like your life away to Uncle Sam with no questions asked?

Well, 40% of us think aid to other countries is the No. 1 federal expense, and those people couldn't be more wrong. Our federal government spends only $1 in foreign aid for every $14 it spends on Medicare alone!

The Wall Street Journal, along with the organization Third Way, laid out just where our money is being spent. The report takes a couple making $200,000 with two children and shows how much they're paying for what. They say that couple will pay nearly $43,000 this year in taxes -- and that's just federal taxes.

Entitlement programs will get the bulk of the money; more than $8,000 a year comes out of your paycheck for Social Security, the same holds true for Medicare and Medicaid. Only $367 goes to federal aid.

Here's what I thought was the most shocking number: more than $2,000 a year goes to pay off the interest on the national debt -- not the actual debt -- just the interest!

Nearly $8,000 are spent on the military -- from Iraq and Afghanistan -- to other military operations and maintenance.

The list goes on and on -- but some of the other big ticket items:

• food stamps: $661 goes there


• more than $500 goes to federal highways

The one good thing on this list is that only about $1.50 goes to paying the salaries of those on Capitol Hill.

All jokes aside, the list is incredibly extensive, and once again this is only federal taxes; thousands more go to state and local taxes.

With the numbers laid out, it should be obvious to everyone in Washington: this is too much and we need to stop spending so the American family can keep more of what they make --- for them!

A lot of people seem to think that Social Security payments are "handouts" by the government. Yes, the government does manage our SS funds; however, many of us have worked for years and have paid into Social Security. Between the employee and the employer, about 13 percent is paid right off the top of our wages. No, Social Security is not a freebie! Neither is Medicare! If we want decent care, we buy supplemental policies and prescription policies. Medicare pays the doctors a very low percentage of their actual fees; and most doctors/hospitals care enough about senior citizens that they accept what Medicare/supplements pays. Twenty to twenty-five years ago, we were told Social Security was going bankrupt. Do you remember why? The Federal Government was using our funds to support other programs; and now we have a stack of IOU's — if the funds were put back into the Social Security system, we would be in great shape! Don't say that those on SS/Medicare are taking government handouts! We have been ripped off! - Elizabeth Bausell, Social Security, Medicare not entitlements, HeroldDemocrat.com, May 17, 2010

Read more here and here and here.