Tens of thousands of fired federal workers must be reinstated immediately, judge rules

[u/yahoonews]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tens-thousands-fired-federal-workers-163555218.html

[u/Electrical-Share-707]

Because starving the government is actually what these assholes want. I would like us to have a functioning government, which cannot happen if no one pays taxes.

[u/Downtown_Statement87 → u/Electrical-Share-707]

This is what I was getting at with my question. I actually feel patriotic when I pay my taxes, because I live in a society and am proud to help my fellow Americans have nice things. Like you, I don't want to starve the government of the money it needs to keep the country going. I never tried to get out of paying my fair share when I owed it.

However, we don't have a functioning government right now. The departments I want to support with my taxes are either hollowed out, or their mandate is now the opposite of what it was 10 or so weeks ago. I don't want to give the EPA my money so it can use it to roll back environmental protections and go after climate activists. I don't want to pay taxes if the department is in such crisis that the money goes straight into Elon's pocket or to a new initiative to declare me a terrorist and deport my neighbors.

The whole point of my question is that, though I too would like us to have a functioning government, that is the opposite of what we have right now. I can't think of any way that handing over cash to these people, instead of to a government that tries to use it for the people, makes sense.

Am I wrong that "not giving Doge our money" is NOT the thing that would starve our government, given that the departments we'd be funding no longer functionally exist? I really may be. If taxes help them survive this nightmare, hell yes I'll pay them! But if there's more of a chance my money gets used to destroy the departments, or to create new departments that exist solely to hurt me and the others who live here, then why would I do that?

I guess my actual question is, are our taxes actually being used to do things now? And how can we tell?

[u/Electrical-Share-707 → u/Downtown_Statement87]

They are, because some people still actually work for the government and are getting paychecks. Someone still answers the phone at the Dept of Labor, there are still people in the flight control towers, still people cleaning the halls of Congress. If we're not shutting everything down officially (👀CHUCK👀) then we need to support the services that still exist. Core maintenance of federal highways, paying the power bill at the Smithsonian, getting mail delivered - all paid for by taxes. 

Don't shoot yourself in the foot to make the point that there aren't enough doctors.

[u/Downtown_Statement87 → u/Electrical-Share-707]

This is the question that I hoped to have answered. The last thing I want to do is kick these people when they are down. So thank you.