It’s 10:30. Do you know where your tax forms are? Are you currently on a plane heading west just to gain an extra hour or two of time to file? Or are you coming to the conclusion that taxes are for little people and just simply not paying any this year?
Two interesting things about Tax Day this year. First off, it is getting much more coverage than it has in past years. Now with the economy in the shape that it is in this is to be expected. Having to pony up additional dollars at a time when many are just scraping by would make for a good news story. But the stories haven’t been about the tedium of filling out the forms or the potential hardship of having to pay additional taxes. It is this almost despair over the fact that it is now tax time as if we do not go through this exact same process year after year. True, times are tighter than before but we don’t have to treat today with the same seriousness as when the asteroid is about to smash into the planet.
The other thing that is bothering me are all of these tea party protests. I am not bothered by the idea behind the protests. If people want to complain that their taxes are too high then that is their right. I just hope they keep in mind how much they appreciate clean water, working sewer systems, snow removal, a standing military, park rangers wearing funny hats and Tang. (I’m talking about the preferred drink of astronauts. Get your mind out of the gutter.) Yes, some of your tax dollars may be wasted but not all of them are. Also, if there is a stage, a camera crew and Ted Nugent present it really can’t be considered a grass roots protest. It means someone spent a good amount of money to organize.
Actually my biggest issue with the whole thing is that it results in straight faced newsmen to say things like “The American populace has expressed their desire to teabag the White House.” I for one have no desire to have that image emblazoned in my mind.
I guess I don’t have too many issues with taxes. Yes, we pay too much but that is one of the prices we pay to live in a society like ours. Despite what anyone thinks we don’t live and have never lived in a truly capitalist society. If we did there would be people running at me with pitchforks every moment of the day. Instead we pay a fee for someone to keep the streets clean, the trains running on time and everyone at a pre-determined base level of happiness. The process could be made easier and it would sure be nice if I didn’t have to file in four states like I did this year but at the end of the day it is like flossing. You need to do it and if you don’t some day you are going to have to undergo a very painful procedure.
Wednesday Night Music Club: Since I’ve been listening to him here is some Lyle Lovett to either end or start the day on the right note. Just depends on when you read the page I guess.
No comments:
Post a Comment