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How do you personally benefit through taxes?

Asked by Jane Belanger

September 1, 2010

Photo of Adam Greene

Adam Greene

From Gainsville, Florida (English Teacher)

Schools and libraries. I went to college for free the first two years through the government and public school growing up. Tennessee has scholarships for certain groups and stuff like that, and I fell into one of those groups. I got government grants, so I’m a pretty big fan of that. And then public schools, I like those. Roads, firemen, police…I’m a fan of all of that.

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Max Alfaro

From Solana Beach (Student)

Well, the streets are clean and everything. I came from Mexico, so compared to there it’s, like, way cleaner and everything. In Mexico it’s way different. I can definitely see what the money goes to here.

Photo of Eva Kvaas

Eva Kvaas

From La Mesa (Drama Teacher)

I think parks are nice. It’s nice to have public parks. I go to Balboa Park a lot. I think the park is supported by taxes, isn’t it? I like to walk around, people watch, look in the museums, see some of the performances there.

Photo of Karen Neumann

Karen Neumann

From San Carlos (Accounting Work)

I actually don’t think I receive any benefits! I actually think I lose a lot. I’m not poor enough to be considered poor, and I feel like I pay way too much in taxes and I don’t benefit from it at all. I feel like I don’t get anything. I’m pretty much stuck in the middle. I feel like I pay a lot and I don’t get anything back for it.

Photo of Eric Flink

Eric Flink

From North Park (Suit Salesman)

I just moved here, so I’m just exploring what benefits I’ll get in California. I’m seeing that California has more restrictions than Massachusetts on the workforce. I think there’s been more lawsuits here. Like this rule where you have to go on a lunch break after five hours, and these funny little things they don’t have in Massachusetts...yet. I think there the tax rate is close to the sixes, whereas here it’s 8.25 or something. We’re getting up there. It’s called Taxachusetts for a reason.

Photo of John Ion

John Ion

From La Jolla (Nightclub Promoter)

Education. I go to a junior college, so it helps a lot. I know the classes would be really expensive if we didn’t have tax dollars going toward it. I think you save, like, $5000 or something because of tax money. It helps a lot.

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