Further, the rules governing many of these benefits have become increasingly more complex, with Congress drawing a zigzag line (sometimes a disconnected line) on which side of a potential benefit a taxpayer will fall.

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This "rainy day" money will be an extra potential future burden on the taxpayer.

BBC: Sell-off move leaves banks in flux

Like many such initiatives, it is borne of noble intentions and fraught with significant defects and enormous potential liabilities for the American taxpayer.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Safeguarding US Equities While Aiding Poland And Hungary

Paying teachers more upfront while at the same time requiring five years (or more) of teacher training at expensive, top-tier universities represents a huge investment not only from the taxpayer but from education schools and potential teachers as well.

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Failure to perform these reporting obligations subjects the taxpayer to civil penalties, and to potential criminal prosecution.

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The Teutonic taxpayer is much much more concerned about the vast potential cost of bailing out the entire Spanish banking sector than the relatively piffling sums involved in the argument between a real terms freeze and a 5% rise in the EU budget.

BBC: German chancellor Angela Merkel

He said he believes there are about a dozen additional members of his party -- most of whom are anti-abortion -- who would endorse taxpayer funding for the studies because of the embryonic cells' potential for fighting disease.

CNN: 61 senators urge Bush to OK stem-cell funding

The potential returns look juicy, even though they must share profits equally with the taxpayer.

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Another problem with the Hollywood tax credit programs is the potential for state legislators, bureaucrats, and lobbyists to leverage their crony connections to profit at taxpayer expense.

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