Sunday, April 17, 2011

We paid our taxes rant!

So tomorrow is the deadline to file taxes. In our case, it also means sending in a big fat check. It doesn't matter that we paid the highest possible withholding all year. We still owe more. Now, we live a modest life. I am a teacher and my husband is an engineer. Our income isn't even in the neighborhood of that magical $250,000 that everyone talks so much about. We live in an unpretentious, 25 yr. old home and I drive a 13 yr. old Camry. We have some nice 'toys', but we aren't extravagant and we WORKED & EARNED all we have. We have always paid our bills, saved, educated our children and taught them to be self reliant. We believe in personal responsibility. We understand that paying taxes is one of our obligations as citizens...but not 28% of our income. Yes, 28%! And today I read that the average ultra rich pay only 17%...what?!?!? How does that work?!?!? I know how it works and it stinks! Then there are those who count on public assistance as their main substance and they get a refund!?!?! even though they haven't earned or paid in a dime into the system and may not even be in our country legally. What the....!!! Our government is messed up and I am so sick of it! And the icing on the cake is that we don't have any say in how the money is spent wasted. Check out this article, it's appalling to see it in print. Every politician claims that education is important, yet less than 3% of our tax dollars are spent on education. We spend more keeping down a huge segment of our population with public programs...welfare, Medicaid, public housing...I call it modern slavery, which surely isn't politically correct. So what?...the truth hurts. I believe it's time for some 'teach a man to fish...'. How will the US sustain this? Why would anyone want to stay on our current collision course? The values and priorities of the government are certainly different than mine. Thanks for letting me rant....wish it had made me feel better. My apologizes if my comments have offended anyone.

2 comments:

  1. I am a retired teacher living on that income, raised my children on my own from 1995 when my husband passed away, educated them, etc., etc., etc. I do have this new job, but really . . . And I OWED, too. Ridiculous. I am not mailing my check until tomorrow. Waiting until the LAST day. You haven't offended me . . . :-) XOXO

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