>The money for nothing trend is the thing killing any positive effect higher taxes might have IMO.

So, exactly what is "money for nothing?"

Here's some serious "money for nothing:"
What value do medical insurers add to patient care to earn the billions that they skim off the system?
What value do hedge fund managers, who average $1 billion annually, add?
What value does a Big Ten coach who makes $5 million annually add?
Marcia thinks it unappealing when I ask it, but what value do the Walmart heirs add?

I live in a retirement community. Most of the people here have worked all their lives, but depend on Social Security and Medicare, because the private sector has basically exited from the pension and medical benefit world here in the US.

If social security is "money for nothing" why is a private pension not "money for nothing?"
During the past 30 years there has been a huge transfer of cost from the private sector to the public sector.

The government assumed those cost by necessity or people would be dying in the streets.