Floyd walks throughout the streets trying to get the attention of a small crowed, hoping someone of leader stature can hear him.

"How do you as a leader spend the taxes you collect from your crew members? I have noticed I been paying these taxes, but I want to know where my hard earned money is going? Yes, I am savvy to the fact I am a low life thug, but who is to say I can not know what I am paying in to? Are my taxes going towards your bodyguards for your own protection? Are they going towards the HQ fortifications that hardly ever get attacked? Do you have weekly competitions and give out cash prizes? What is the point of me even paying these taxes?"

Are my taxes going towards your bodyguards for your own protection?

The way you worded that makes it sound like you're implying that paying for bodyguards is an entirely selfish endeavour. It is not. 

Taxes should always go to your crew leader's bodyguards first before anything else. Without bodyguards, your crew leader is more likely to get murdered by a rogue or fall during a war. Without your leader, you have no crew, no HQ, no forts, etc. Your leader surviving should be your number one priority. 

You do realise those HQ fortifications that hardly get attacked are for your benefit and any other crew member with little to no protection from BGs. Also your CL has to pay taxes as well they have to pay the mayor and also the GF or GF chair if they dont pay the mayor they end up in mayor jail.

"As I am relatively new to leadership I can see this matter from both sides.  I will tell you that when I was were you are, I did not under a few things so here is what I have learned that you may not know as well.

First, it is very expensive to launch a new crew.  Just the basics alone costed me $53+ million dollars.  This was money that came from my own pockets, a gift from my defacto Godfather, and loans and gifts secured from friends and allies.  Those loans have to be repaid and in an effort to create new allies, gifts to new leaders are often needed.

Second, often spend a great deal of time doing administrative duties and networking that are behind the scenes.  These duties help secure the crew protection and help make this thing of ours better for all.  This is time they take away from their own endeavors of making money themselves for the betterment of the community at large.  

Thirdly, if a crew is not growing it is dying.  If you are growing you are expanding.  A leader has to think towards the future.  New crews are always being launched and as covered in the first point, it is expensive.  If your crew needs more room to grow and you authorize a new leader to setup shop, it is customary for the one doing the authorizing to help offset a large part of that cost if possible.  This also creates opportunities for new blood to rise up and  themselves become a part of the leadership.

Like I said these are a few things I have recently learned and I hope I have passed this knowledge on for the betterment of this community."  

Marie walks off and continues about her day.

I can understand the sentiment of wanting to know where your money is going to. I have found as my time as a member I wondered about those things as well. Luckily for me I have almost always had leaders who were open to these types of discussions.

On the flip side, as a leader I am very open and honest with my members where their money is going. If it's going to forts, they know about it. If it's going to body guards, they know about it. If it is going towards something fun for all of us to do as a family, they know about it. It's just the way I do things but not everyone does. We all work in our different ways.

Perhaps instead of taking it to the streets you could have a private discussion with your leader? Maybe they would have shared the information you were wanting to know one on one.

"yes your leader would of told you where that money goes. So would any member of the family I do not hide what the bills are and where I spend money. " he says

"as many have started running a crew is expensive and we can not afford it without donations and taxes. Bg's are only one of the things on the list. I understand the question but next just try asking." Luca days before walking off.