There are two problems with a lot of the arguments for/against anything involving government spending in the US.

First, the budget could be redone and cover things like health care or whatever if Congress and the President can get rid of frivolous spending and focus on things we need. Spending on a new program does not necessarily mean increasing taxes, if the funds are taken from other programs that aren't needed anymore or that can run on smaller budgets. Look at the medicare prescription drug bill, why on earth can't the US Gov't use its group purchasing power to get lower cost drugs for folks on medicare? It's asinine and drives up the cost fo the package.

Second, the tax burden in this country is placed upon the middle class once all taxes are considered. The poor tend to pay nothing once all government welfare programs are accounted for, the rich do not pay as much for social security and medicare in proportion to their income (and much of their income doesn't factor into the social security/medicare question), and the rich also can use the capital gains tax to pay up to 17% less in taxes on their income than their tax bracket states.

Until there is a fundamental change in the way people think about these two issues, the political parties will continue to play the game of bribing the american public with our own money.