Exactly Rob.
The sooner everyone just realizes that this government is your 50-50 partner, the better.
You go to work, take all the risk for whatever expenses you have, in my case $250,000 in educational loans and another $600,000 for a business, and if you fail, you're screwed. The government does nothing to help you.
But if you succeed, then they have their hand in your wallet. If you bring home $100,000 a year, right off the bat in income tax they are taking 33%. Then, you go to the store and buy something, and they take another 5-10% in sales tax depending on where you live. In my case 9%. Now we're up to 42% tax on my buck so far. Then, an average house in my area, which is very middle class, is $8,000 in property and school tax (or 8% on $100K) and now you're up to 50% of your income that has been taxed, before you even take out your checkbook to pay your first bill of the month. And then in NY you've got .20/gallon gas tax, phone bill taxes and line surcharges, etc. etc. and now you are looking at actually giving back more than half of your income.
This is really going on as we live and breathe, we give back over half the money we earn to the government. And you've got no say in how it's spent, or who they redistribute it to.
Now I'm not really complaining, I do fine and I'm happy, and this is the greatest country in the world. But you do eat a lot of **** here.
So when I pull up to the gas pump and see $3.20/gallon, it is irritating, yes, but at this point it's like being gang raped by 50 people, and before it's over a 51st comes by just to give you one more for the road.
Gas prices. See them. Pay them. Move on.