Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes

United States Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 1995, as proposed by
President Clinton

Analysis by War Resisters League

Dollar figures for fiscal year 1995, as reported in the Budget of
the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995.  Percentages are
Federal Funds, calculated after removing Trust Funds (such as
Social Security) which are raised and spent separately from
income taxes.  The government practice of combining Trust Funds
and Federal Funds (the so-called "Unified Budget") began in the
1960s during the Vietnam War.  The government presentation makes
the human needs portion of the budget seem larger and the
military budget smaller.

"Current military" spending adds together money allocated for the
Department of Defense ($259 billion) plus the "defense" portion
from other parts of the budget.  Spending on nuclear weapons
(without their delivery systems) amounts to about 1% of the total
budget.

"Past military" is represented by veterans' benefits plus 80% of
the interest on the national debt.  If there had been no military
spending, most (if not all) of the national debt would have been
eliminated.  Analysts differ on how much of the debt stems from
the military; estimates range from 50% to 100%.  We feel that 80%
may even be conservative.

27% Current Military--$302 billion

(Military personnel $70B, Retired pay $15B, Operation and
maintenance $88B, Family housing $3B, Procurement $55B, Research
and development $36B, Construction $5B, DoE nuclear weapons
program $11B, NASA 50% $7B, Coast Guard $3B, plus CIA,
President's Funds, International "Security Assistance," FEMA)

25% Past Military--$286 Billion

Veterans benefits $37B
Interest on national debt (80% estimated to be created by
military spending) $249B

28% Human Resources--$327 Billion

Education, Health and Human Services, HUD housing subsidies,
Labor Department

14% General Government--$158 Billion

Government, Justice Department, International Affairs, 20%
interest on national debt, civilian portion of NASA

6% Physical Resources--$66 Billion

Includes Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, HUD
administration/community development, Interior Department,
Transportation, Environmental Protection

100% Federal Funds=$1.139 Trillion

This information is taken from the War Resisters League flyer
"Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes".  The flyer includes a
pie chart of where the government _says_ the money goes and a
comparison chart of where it really goes.  It also has additional
information on where opinion polls show how the American people
would like the money presently spent on the military to be spent.

The flyer is available from the War Resisters League, 339
Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012; (212) 228-0450 (vox), (212)
228-6193 (fax); e-mail: wrl@igc.apc.org

A new edition will be available after March 1, 1995.