--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or…" description: "\"Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the Department of Motor Vehicles understands that government does two things well: spend our money and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png" --- # Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the… ![“Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the Department of Motor Vehicles understands that government does two things well: spend our money and waste our time.” quote by Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png) > “Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the Department of Motor Vehicles understands that government does two things well: spend our money and waste our time.” [Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously critiques government for being good at spending money and wasting time. **In simple terms:** Government excels at spending and wasting time. Key Takeaway Demand accountability and efficiency in public services. Themes government bureaucracy efficiency public spending Mood critical pragmatic Type political administrative When to use this quote - budget planning - public sector reform - citizen advocacy - legislative hearings Key Concepts waste budgeting administrative delay taxation Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve government efficiency without cutting essential services? - What reforms could reduce waste while maintaining public benefits? A Different Perspective It may overlook essential services that require time and spending. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Motor vehicles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motor-vehicles/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [The government understands - every government, every administration, both parties, understands - that that power, they just don't have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/the-government-understands-every-government-every-administration-both/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [The public understands that the government is broke, but many still don't want to cut programs they enjoy or depend on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/the-public-understands-that-the-government-is-broke-but-many-still/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [“I don’t know why I seem to be the only one who understands that when the government provides something for free—whether it’s food, housing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/i-don-t-know-why-i-seem-to-be-the-only-one-who-understands-that-when-2/) [Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/) > [The greatest crime of welfare isn't that it's a waste of money, but that it's a waste of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/the-greatest-crime-of-welfare-isn-t-that-it-s-a-waste-of-money-but/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [If everything in the world would be in terms of time instead of money no one would waste time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanu/if-everything-in-the-world-would-be-in-terms-of-time-instead-of-money/) [Shanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanu/) > [It's better to waste money, than it is to waste time. You can always get more money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/it-s-better-to-waste-money-than-it-is-to-waste-time-you-can-always/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [Waste your money and you're only out of money, but waste your time and you've lost a part of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leboeuf/waste-your-money-and-you-re-only-out-of-money-but-waste-your-time-and/) [Michael LeBoeuf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leboeuf/) > [Time is money'... Waste it now. Pay for it later!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/time-is-money-waste-it-now-pay-for-it-later/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-easiest-way-to-save-money-is-to-waste-less-energy/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“If you have money to waste on wishes, you don't need the wishes as badly as I need the money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-rundell/if-you-have-money-to-waste-on-wishes-you-don-t-need-the-wishes-as/) [Katherine Rundell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-rundell/) > [Geez, all that money we waste on space exploration; just think how many bombs that would buy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/geez-all-that-money-we-waste-on-space-exploration-just-think-how-many/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't tell you how much money I waste on plaid shirts, whisky that I hate the taste of, and Moleskine notebooks that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-martin/i-can-t-tell-you-how-much-money-i-waste-on-plaid-shirts-whisky-that-i/) [Mae Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-martin/) > [Some day I'll make a film that critics will like. When I have money to waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-truffaut/some-day-i-ll-make-a-film-that-critics-will-like-when-i-have-money-to/) [Francois Truffaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-truffaut/) > [“Only merchants have money to waste, and what are they but parasites who create nothing, grow nothing, make nothing but feed off another's labor?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/only-merchants-have-money-to-waste-and-what-are-they-but-parasites/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [“The dead can be even more frustrating to deal with than are many of the living, which is astonishing when you consider it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/the-dead-can-be-even-more-frustrating-to-deal-with-than-are-many-of/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) ## More by Edwin Feulner > [Is the American tradition of self-reliance disappearing? That's a painful question for conservatives to ponder. After all, we're dedicated to reducing the role of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/is-the-american-tradition-of-self-reliance-disappearing-that-s-a/) [Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) > [The best way to put more money in people's wallets is to leave it there in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/the-best-way-to-put-more-money-in-people-s-wallets-is-to-leave-it/) [Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) > [It's easier to scare someone than to persuade him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/it-s-easier-to-scare-someone-than-to-persuade-him/) [Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) > [Conservatives tend to believe there is a close and necessary connection between prosperity and freedom - that economic freedom is an essential part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/conservatives-tend-to-believe-there-is-a-close-and-necessary/) [Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) > [We also need to encourage Americans to become more fiscally responsible themselves. We can do this by redesigning our tax system into an expenditure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/we-also-need-to-encourage-americans-to-become-more-fiscally/) [Edwin Feulner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) [Explore all 6 Edwin Feulner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/) ## More Department quotes > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... 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It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I prefer department stores. In boutiques, they come up and ask you if you need help. I can't get lost in the experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-netrebko/i-prefer-department-stores-in-boutiques-they-come-up-and-ask-you-if/) [Anna Netrebko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-netrebko/) > [A poet could write volumes about diners, because they're so beautiful. They're brightly lit, with chrome and booths and Naugahyde and great waitresses. 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Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) Browse all 1,212 Department quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the Department of Motor Vehicles understands that government does two things well: spend our money and waste our time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edwin Feulner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or-visited-the-department-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Department" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or-visited-the-department-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/edwin-feulner-56609_department_anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or_2016162.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the Department of Motor Vehicles understands that government…” — Edwin Feulner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edwin Feulner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-feulner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Anyone who's ever filed a tax...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or-visited-the-department-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-feulner/anyone-who-s-ever-filed-a-tax-return-or-visited-the-department-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```