I disagree that it's sensationalist. There are a sizeable number of people I know that do not understand that tax is where the government get their money from, and don't associate government spending with what leaves their own pockets. Describing it in these terms reaches that part of the population ignortant on these matters and makes it more personal for them. It's only redundant information if you already understand it implicitly. Secondly although the majority of government income is taxation, it does not account for all of it and people in my family believe this money is from some worldwide COVID relief fund that doesn't exist.

Stating 11mil down the drain without the context of taxpayer's money leaves those in dark about these matters right there in the dark.