Taxes...

What do you really get for your money?

clean(er) air
clean(er) water
roads
highways
bridges
dams
automobiles
public transportation (planes, trains, buses)
sewers
sanitation
electricity
parks
preserves
arboretums
sanding, salting, plowing
fire protection
police protection
judicial system
prison system
education
health care
retirement
coast guard
armed services

The list continues.

Is every cent spent wisely? No. I'd prefer we didn't hand out subsidies to the companies holding our cities hostage by threatening job loss. Instead, we should subsidize the companies that make sectoral, historical, and labor-force sense.

But it seems there is very little waste, comparatively speaking. We sure do get quite the bang for our buck through taxation for public service provision.