(Archived document, may contain errors) No. 981 I The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue N.E Washington, D.C. 20002-4999 (202) 5 46-4400 The Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies March7, The federal government has put America's families under financial siege. Middle income as well as blue collar families are finding it hard to buy a first home or pay for their children's college tuition. To a large degree, this is because of an explosive rise in the burden of federal taxation.