Tax Day and Art

So, it's Tax Day, and there are a lot of protesters in town who for "Tea Parties" are, to say the least, not so happy about President Obama's tax and fiscal policy. But fortunately, it's also a day when people say useful things about the impact of taxes and provide interesting charts about where our taxes actually go. And it's a good time to reflect on the art that taxation's created.

President Obama kicked off the serious bit of that tax conversation by noting that Tax Day "is an important opportunity for those of us in Washington to consider our responsibilities to the people who sent us here and who pay the bills." It's not quite as pithy--or snarky--as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' statement that “I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization,” but it'll do. And if you need a specific reminder of what kinds of civilization you're purchasing with your taxes, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has a useful breakout chart (on a workforce note, benefits for federal retirees and vets makes up 6 percent of the budget).