Because someone else’s taxes go to things they don’t use but you do.
It’s more efficient to pool the money and then distribute it as needed among services and more.
If you want the government to shift priorities in funding, that’s what voting and participating in politics is for.
Many things taxes go to are for the public good. Things like better education and roads bring up the community as a whole and makes it a better place to live overall.
Taxes to pay for the Epstein ballroom? Not so much.
Taxes are your contribution to a functioning society, they’re meant to be used for things that should, in theory, benefit everybody in some way. You “use” schools in so far as the people who go there are the ones who later use their education to provide you with goods and services. Of course one might argue that taxes are frequently used for complete bollocks (cf ballroom) but that’s part of what living in a society is: constant negotiation about how to use the resources that are available to the group. Not everybody is going to agree what the best use is.
You give money to governments sometimes to fix things you like and other times to look good and make deals that will lead to more money and better things for you. I won’t put the ball room in the second camp. The US is lead by monkeys throwing poop and fucking each other and kids. With them your money is spent on things that make things worse for you.
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Yes, they should do all the things they do for free.
Improper taxation and misuse of taxes are theft is more realistic, but it’s not as catchy a slogan for a sign, and requires some thinking instead of just feeding off a person’s emotion.
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Are you okay with paying for rent/mortgage to have a place to live? Or paying for services given to you? If you want everything for free, then you are living in first grade.
Is it because some of that money might help others in some way that you don’t need help with? That IS first grade.
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How do you suggest we pay for public services instead?
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You should be really proud of your family and community. I think mine is pretty great, too, but nobody in my family or circle of friends knows how (or is otherwise able) to treat cancers, stop diseases, create common weights and measures by which to standardize trade with other people and communities, defeat invading armies, warn of impending natural disasters or ensure the safety of foods, drinks, buildings, cars, etc.
Fortunately, they don’t have to worry about this kind of thing, though, because thanks to the buying power afforded by pooled taxes, responsible governments usually take care of these for waaay less than most of us could ever afford to pay.
