THE LONG WALK: A COLUMN ABOUT WASHINGTON

"Think about your morning today. Your radio wasn’t a jumbled mess thanks to the FCC. And those weather reports only occur due to the National Weather Service (under the umbrella of the Commerce Department—hope Texas doesn’t need any hurricane or tornado warnings). On the way to work from the house you might’ve bought with governmental help in the form of the mortgage interest tax deduction, you may have your life saved thanks to federal regulations mandating seat belts and child safety seats. OSHA has your back against unsafe work conditions. TheFDA labels food against manufacturers’ desires so you know what you’re actually eating. The EPA works to improve air and water quality. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera... Your tax dollars, which pay my salary, don’t create benefits that you get immediately, and usually you can’t even touch them."

-from here

variables to consider: benefits from taxes; not directly "economical to the household" but provisional, offering intangible benefits - natural, human, physical, social (well-being)