Those Numbing Budget Numbers Mean Something

"For example, consider a hypothetical 33-year-old Fort Worth suburbanite -- a college graduate who earns $39,514 per year, the average per capita for the area. We chose that age because in 2009, the most recent year for which government data are available, that was the median age for the DFW metro area. According to our calculations, that individual, based on current tax rates and a projected lifespan of 80 years, will pay more than $426,297 in future federal taxes to finance government spending."