Almost tax day. Do you know where your dollars are?

Our friends at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) have a new flier called "Where do our income tax dollars go?" The answer is clear: not where I want my dollars to be going.

Here are some numbers from the flier:
41 cents of every dollar I pay goes to pay for the war, obligations from past wars, (including veterans programs) and interest on the military portions of the national debt.
19 cents goes for health programs, including Medicaid and parts of Medicare
12 cents goes to help the poor in the US, through food programs, housing assistance, income supports and energy assistance
10 cents goes for interest on the non-military portion of the national debt
5 cents goes to promote community and economic development
5 cents goes for education, job training, employment and social service
4 cents goes to run the government, including law enforcement, homeland security and benefits for government employees
3 cents goes for science, energy and environmental programs
1 cent goes for humanitarian aid and international cooperation.

Is this how you want your dollar to be divided up? Personally, I'm concerned about that big, fat 41 cents at the top of the list. (It would be semi-palatable if most of it were spent on veterans' medical care -- but judging from recent news stories about the treatment the Iraq War vets are receiving, I'd say it's not.)

Perhaps you feel the same way. If you do, you can download a pdf of the flier here

Make copies. Pass them out at school. Give them to your friends. Send one to your congressman or woman -- and tell them this is not how you'd like them to be spending your money.

(Source: Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 Second Street, Washington DC 20002)