Should America's tax dollars be divided in a Progressive or Regressive way

[Toots]

An example of what I am talking about is Highway funding for Alaska. Alaska receives way more per capita than other states because it is more needy. It does not have the population to help pay for stuff like highway maintenance. It is Progressive to spend US tax dollars where they are most needed. I don't want to talk about Katrina here. I believe in this particular instance Alaska along with other states should relinquish some of it's highway funding but in general there has been a lot of talk on these boards about how Alaska is getting more than it's share and should be cut off. I'm just asking for justification. Cutting off the most needy is not Progressive..

[dcfirefighter]

1. Public infrastructure should largely be a state issue

I think that federal payments should neither be progressive nor regressive, but per capita. Alaska's low population indicates a low need for expenditures. I see no reason for states to subsidize each others benefits - Kansans shouldn't pay for roads in New York, and New Yorkers shouldn't pay for fire trucks in Kansas.

There is a limited Federal interest in ensuring that there is an Interstate Highway system, though I feel that this interest has been overextended. You'll rarely hear me argue for more roads.

All states have the means to pay for their own public goods. Transferring money from one region to another just encourages unsustainable behaviors and development patterns: (Building on floodplains, Swamps, Hurricant-prone Coasts, etc.).

[Toots]

2. You could say the same for education and medicare spending

Very non-progressive of you. Why not carry your logic to tax base as well.

[dcfirefighter]

3. Decentralized Government

representative of and accountable to the people is a progressive idea.

As a point of fact, the Dept of Ed. doesn't do much spending for primary and secondary education - it's more of a roadblock than anything else.

The problem is that states & localities refuse to tax themsleves to pay for their needs.

And I think that Medicare is a particularly inefficient way to spend public money on healthcare.

[StopThief]

4. They should be spent. . . .

in the most EFFICIENT way.