Who is paying?

I’m starting to understand that it is very hard to understand who pays for things. I think everyone’s political beliefs would be tested if there was a clear accounting. Think about it - do you know for sure how the small businesses you use daily were funded? How about your public transit? How about who is paying for your streets being cleaned? How about your healthcare? Think you understand how your kid’s school is funded? I used to think these were simple questions but as I’ve dug in the answers are anything but clear. Politics tries to convince you of simple answers to these complicated questions in order to motive you to vote for one party or the other. The answers aren’t simple. That small business needs a large amount of capital before it provides a good or service to its first customer. The price you pay for public transit almost never covers the cost of service. If you live in San Francisco - do you know whether it’s your city government keeping your sidewalks clean, your CBD, or a local non-profit? I can’t even imagine how to think about how to figure out who pays for a trip to the emergency room. How much of your school’s funding comes from local tax dollars vs private fundraising, donations, grants, etc. I’ve tried to stop being pissed about something until I‘ve figured out how it’s being paid for.