Money is just paper but the resources it’s exchanged for are real. Not wasting money is a proxy for not wasting stuff.

That's an unfair characterization - either side can make the easy insult that their opponents are greedy/stingy. Imagine if someone characterized the left-leaning side as "always complaining" of how there is a new medical innovation here, new real estate development there, wringing their hands about how they don't get instant free service from all the people who made it happen.

Money is not just paper, it is a direct representation of time and labor. The non-consenting seizure of one's property and labor can also be considered theft, serfdom, or slavery, depending on the circumstances. Inserting layers of indirection, good intentions, bureaucracy, and limiting it to 40% of your year's crop does not make it less serious of a subject.

You can argue that some of it may always be necessary, and I would agree. But it shouldn't be treated lightly.

Money is just paper, and my ass too