Procrastinators slog through tax day

Tax Day is here — when procrastinators scramble to file returns, some post offices stay open until midnight to help them, a big "tea party" tax protest is scheduled, and a research group reports that most federal taxes go for items such as war and interest on debt, with relatively little for environment, energy and science.

"Tax Day is the perfect day for a protest, because we are protesting higher taxes and inflation and government waste," said Adam Gardiner, a Weber State University student who is organizing the Tax Day Tea Party at the Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City beginning at noon.

Similar tea parties, inspired by the Boston Tea Party, are scheduled nationwide, mostly by conservatives who believe the government wastes too much. Local speakers are expected to include Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Rob Bishop, both R-Utah.

"Originally, the plan was to mail tea bags, but that kind of got bumped," Gardiner said, because the Postal Service might think that looks too much like a biological weapon. Instead, the group now plans to ask people to sign large posters with grievances against the government, which it will mail to the president, Senate and House.

Meanwhile, the National Priorities Project, which says it analyzes federal data so people can understand and influence how their taxes are spent, released data saying that a median-income family in Utah paid $4,545 in federal income taxes in 2008.

Of that, the report said, $1,336 went to the military; $968 for health programs; $880 for interest on debt; $327 for income security and labor programs; $173 for housing and community programs; $173 for veterans' benefits; $164 for food programs; $141 for government; $136 for education; $127 for environment, energy and science; $55 for international affairs; and $45 for transportation.

The report also figured spending another way, looking at how much of each tax dollar went to various programs.

The analysts found that 29.4 cents went to the military, 21.3 cent to health; 19.8 cents to interest on debt, 7.2 cents to income security and labor; 3.8 cents to housing and community programs; 3.8 cents to veterans benefits; 3.6 cents to food programs; 3.1 cents to government; 3 cents to education, 2.8 cents to environment, energy and science; 1.2 cents to international affairs; and 1 cent to transportation.