Wikipidia's definition of tax is a financial charge or other imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state.

I believe taxes are important in the governing of the U.S. however I don't agree with the spending direction of America's hard earned tax money. The Washington state sales tax is 6.5% of the price of every item I buy. My last pay check had over $200 taken for taxes. I'm only an 18 year old trying to juggle school and work and I've already discovered the rediculous price of taxes and the annoyances that the amount taken out can sometimes be as big as the paychecks themselves. Taxes are getting out of control, seeing the amount taken out every pay check wouldn't be so rough if i knew my tax dollars weren't being wasted on a trip to California so that the president can shake his head at the ashes, shake some hands, say God bless America, and then waste more money flying back. I don't mind when my tax dollars go to new equipment for troops in Iraq or construction workers filling in pot holes. I just don't want to see my hard earned dollar go to a waste.