Whilst I am in agreement with the statement, who wouldn't be? I would like to know what is the software that is being funded by tax payers that is sold back to tax payers. This is new to me and raises lots of questions.

we should probably ask why meds aren't free or cheap before we think about software. Tax dollars also goes to the research on meds.

Back in the day you couldn't use public money and then get a patent because the patent became "public domain" so what companies would do is use the grant money and then sell and the buyer could then patent.

Why?
Firstly, it is not 'taxpayer' money but taxextorted money.
Secondly, it is not then public money but state money.
The same state that conjured up the perfidy of 'Intellectual Property' that Free Software combats.
Do not waste time on the state - create & use FLOSS instead!

I can answer that. Because public institutions work on the lowest bidder principle. The lowest bidder will hide their code so only they can conduct maintenance and development, and hang on to the option of reselling the components in other projects having developed them with the public money. That way they superficially appear cheaper than an Open system but end up making a bigger profit.

Look up Simtel, it was nearly perfect. NASA shares out public software created on the people's dime. There are conservatives who want the government to control anything made using their (taxpayers) money. They don't get it, and don't want to.