I think the Government is in Love with me…

Photo by blmurch

Why, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. I just noticed how much of my money the government takes out of my paycheck and I’ll tell you, when you’re fucked like this it must be love. Or maybe its just greed. Let’s take a look.

Income taxes as they are today were imposed first in 1943 to pay for WWII. I’m not sure but it think the war ended two years later.

We’re on the thousand-year payment plan, that must be it. Unless you live in the wilderness, you probably have a phone. When you pay your bill you’ll notice a 3% federal tax. That tax is imposed to pay for the Spanish American war. The point is this; other than the military, try and name one government organization that is created for a purpose, serves that purpose and goes away. You’re going to have a hard time doing it.

While you’re at it think about this: You buy a car, it has some defects. What do you do? How about if you buy clothing, or a home? In each of these cases you’ve got recourse, there are guarantees, warrantees and ultimately the courts. Now try this: Your government takes billions of dollars of your money fund an education plan. That plan does not achieve its stated goals. How do you get your money back? Or better yet, why should you pay for an education bill if you have no children? It sounds strange but should anyone but me have to pay for my car? According to our government the answer is yes.

When a man spends his money he buys what he wants, when he wants. The money he is made to pay the government is well outside of his control. Sure we need tax money to pay for street, police and fire, courts, schools and prisons. But do you really want to pay prop up a dictator in Monrovia? Should we fund the Israelis in their conflict? Should we really have sent $?,000,000 to the Taliban? Many of you would say no, but it doesn’t matter, because you did. Think about that when you write that tax check to the government.

But not all of us owe taxes, do we? Some of us will be getting a refund. Check this out. You go to the bank and get a loan that you promise to pay over twelve months. Will you not pay interest? So now the government gives you a refund, translation: The government took a certain amount of money over what they should have and now they pay it back with no interest. And if you don’t file correctly you won’t get your cash.

Keep these things in mind when you think of taxes. Along with the voting booth, if you want to change things in this country, this is the place to start.

-Ken