I don’t think they were yours, unless you were alive a long time ago. Remember also that building these buildings employed a lot of people - often (not sure about this one) they were built as a form of relief to wage workers by providing employment when the private sector couldn’t or wouldn’t. Your point about whether we should use taxes to build with aesthetics in mind, or only to the level necessary to achieve the intended purpose and no more, is an interesting one that has been debated a lot over the centuries. I think having buildings of beauty is important - and a sign of respect for the populace (including wage earners). But that assumes that we can also afford justice. I think we can, but I agree that is not the way things seem to be handled in the U.S. - but that is a story that has been going on for a long time.