mom'sfolly :
People, government is involved in every level of life now, some good some bad. Government is responsible for:
Roads
schools
parks (local, state, national)
migratory birds
patrolling territorial fishing waters
managing fishing and hunting
IRS
immigration
food safety (inclucing the labeling that let's us dieters know what is in our food)
product safety (lead in products from China)
range leasing (BLM)
clean water
mineral rights management
the military
drug regulation
law enforcement
laws themselves
the post office
medicare/medicade
VA
border patrol
driver liscensing
research funding
NASA
UT, A&M, UCLA, The Air Force Academy, West Point, etc
Census Bureau
sex offender registries
police
fire fighters
The list is nearly endless. I don't agree with everything my taxes are spent on, and I don't think every government agency/effort is well run; however, just because the government is involved doesn't mean that something is poorly run or ineffcient. Most of us like clean air and water, safe and reliable medicines, roads, schools, and parks. People who say they don't want the government in their lives aren't paying attention. JMHO
Very nearly all of those things could be privately run. Profit motive = effeciency. I think we could all do without the IRS.
The (few) private highways in this country are extremely safe, well managed, and profitable. Public schools? Don't get me started. As for food/product safety, the feds just do a flat out bad job. Air and water were clearing up well before the EPA and Clean Air/Water acts. Profit motive = good.