print197 days. Or, just close on 7 months.
That’s the “Big Number” you won’t hear repeated on “news” entertainment shows that sport such trivial segments.
The landmark is “the day of the year when the average taxpayer has earned enough income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burden of government. This year,” advises the Cost of Government Center, “the taxpayers worked 197 days to pay off the cost of government.”
Aggregates are good at masking reality. And the reality is this:
The top 10 percent of income earners paid 70 percent of all federal income taxes.
The bottom 50 percent of income earners paid less than 3 percent of federal income taxes.
This celebration—“the Cost of Government Day”—masks that 6 to 7 months into the year is when a tiny, much-maligned segment of the population has almost completed slaving for the rest.
Do come up with a better name for the day on which the few finish working for the many, while getting pounded for their drive and productivity.