AMCT: Did you know?

"I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Did you know?...

That fuel taxes on large trucks cover only half of the expense incurred when they use public roads? Who covers the difference? You do, every time you pay your taxes! For more, see http://www.ota.fhwa.dot.gov/hcas/final/six.htm
That government spends over $100 billion a year on direct support for automotive, truck, and bus use. This amounts to over $1000 a year per US household. Once again, who's paying for it? You do, every time you pay your taxes! For more, see http://www.crest.org/efficiency/nrdc/mobility/conclusn.html
That user fees, in the form of tolls, fuel taxes, etc. cover only about 70% of the governmental cost of building and maintaining our roads? Who covers the difference? You do, every time you pay your taxes! For more, see http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/TTRoMA.html
That federal welfare payments to corporations cost taxpayers over $100 billion dollars a year while federal welfare payments to economically disadvantaged americans total less than $20 billion?
That instead of increasing the number of jobs in a community, big-box stores decrease them? According to a 1993 Humstone Associates' study: Wal-Mart employs 70 people for every $10 million sales, while small retailers employ 106 people per $10 million sales. Think about the cumulative effect that Lowe's and Menard's will have on Monroe County. Who's going to pay for the lost tax base? You will, every time you pay your taxes!
That, on average, each major new shopping mall requires the city or county to hire two new police officers? ("Fiscal Impact of Mall Development", Armstrong 1989). Who's going to pay for those officers? That's right! You are!
That over one billion dollars a year of taxpayer-provided Small Business Administration (SBA) funds go not to start independent small businesses but are instead used to finance large corporate franchises, such as McDonalds, Subway, Hardees, Outback, etc.? (Schlosser, "Fast Food Nation") Think that cost is reflected in the price of a Big Mac? Think again - you'll pay that bill on April 15th when you Pay your taxes!
That franchisees typically must pay between 5 and 10% of their gross revenues to the franchise corporation? In Monroe County, over six million dollars a year of restaurant receipts "dissapear" from our economy in the form of payments to distant franchise shareholders. Wouldn't it be better if your money stayed in your community where it would lower your taxes and employ more people locally?
That of the top ten full-service restaurants in Monroe County, only two are non-chain and locally owned? (HT 5/15/01)
There are more people in jail in Indiana (33,000) than there are full-time farmers (25,000)? That Indiana's prison population has risen 50% over the past decade while its farm population has dropped by 25%? That most of the rise is due to incarcerating non-violent "drug" offenders? That it costs Indiana taxpayers nearly $20,000 a year for each inmate? The tax bill for all this is over $150 a year for every adult in Indiana!

Association of Monroe County Taxpayers, PO Box 3066, Bloomington, Indiana 47402

updated: November 29 2009 11:29:59 PM