Congratulations America -- you started working for yourselves a week ago.

An Americans for Tax Reform study pegged this year's Cost of Government Day at July 11 -- 4.5 days later than the 2002 calculations.
 
The group defines Cost of Governement Day as "the date of the calendar year, counting from January 1, on which the average American has earned enough in cumulative gross income to pay for their share of government spending (total federal, state, and local), plus the cost of regulation." This means that working Americans contribute 193 days' salary per year just to pay for government.