Taxes pay for the things we care about
Million Bazillion
Marketplace
4.6 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2021
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Back in Robin Hood’s day, tax-collecting sheriffs forced people to pay money to a king, who decided how those taxes were spent. These days our tax system works a bit differently. We get to vote for people who’ll spend that money on things we care about — like schools and libraries, health care for elderly people, police, parks, sewers and so on. With the help of a rambling troubadour and a tax policy expert, Jed and Bridget teach Robin Hood that the way tax dollars are spent today reflects what we prioritize as a society. Plus, we’ll ask random kids some not-so-random questions.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Here's your change, and here's your king-sized tub of crunchy broccoli clumps. |
| 0:06.2 | Thank you. Have a nice day. |
| 0:12.7 | Sir, sir. |
| 0:14.2 | Are you cracking a meat? |
| 0:15.4 | You're money, sir. Who left it behind? |
| 0:17.1 | Ah, thanks. |
| 0:18.6 | Uh, gee. 14 cents. |
| 0:21.2 | Did I drop this? |
| 0:22.6 | Oh, no, sir. I've simply rescued your sales tax from that broccoli shop. |
| 0:26.2 | You do what? No. |
| 0:27.2 | Hey, Jeff. Hey, Bridget. |
| 0:28.3 | Eat more broccoli clumps. |
| 0:29.4 | Yep. Who's your friend in the green tites? |
| 0:32.8 | I don't know this guy. |
| 0:33.6 | Just I, Robin Hood. Perhaps you've heard of me in my exploits. |
| 0:36.7 | I steal from the rich and I give to the poor. |
| 0:38.8 | I live in showered forest with my band of merry men, |
| 0:41.6 | handy with a bow and arrow. |
| 0:43.2 | Hey, what are you doing, too? |
| 0:44.8 | Yeah, I'm familiar. |
| 0:46.1 | I guess I was just thrown off since this isn't 13th century England. |
| 0:51.1 | What brings you to our neck of the woods? |
... |
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