An attitude change
Phil Dillon, Emporia
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Well, they’re done. Our taxes have been filed. My wife depressed the “enter” key and that was that. All that’s left now is to wait for tax independence day, which I think will come just in time for a bit of Christmas shopping.
Each April of my adult life I’ve been afflicted by a seasonal disorder. It’s become so familiar now that I’ve given it an acronym — MSA, which stands for Monetary Separation Anxiety. There’s no known cure for it.
I suppose an attitude change might help. A month or so ago, John Peterson wrote a piece about how delightful the whole tax process is. I read it three times to be sure it wasn’t satire, and I’ve concluded there was nothing tongue-in-cheek about it. He’s dead serious. He really enjoys paying taxes.
I learned some amazing things. I never realized that taxes are solely responsible for our culture. Does that mean we’ve got the tax man to thank for Shakespeare, Dickens, Mark Twain, Hemingway, Louisa May Alcott, Gertrude Stein, the Metropolitan Opera, Van Gogh, Vermeer, El Greco, Michelangelo, Georgia O’Keefe and Andy Warhol? Apparently so.
I never knew that if I gave more money to the government, I could own that Swiss chalet I’ve coveted for years. But, if the Swedes can do it, so can I. And, if we all pony up another 20 or 30 percent to the government, we may eventually own Europe, making us New Age imperialists on a grand scale. Can you imagine?
Of course, none of it costs us a dime. The government just gives and gives and gives — and gives. It’s like the old Dire Straits tune — “Money for nothin’ and your chicks for free.” What a country.
I can’t recall the last time we got any money back. In fact, that might be the mother of all non sequiturs. The government isn’t giving anybody anything. Generally speaking, people have just overpaid during the year, allowing the government to use their money as float, without interest. Even greedy bankers give better rates of return.
It doesn’t work much better at the city or county level. I’ve never gotten a tax return check from either of them. If they’ve sent the moolah it must have gone somewhere else, like Forrest Gump’s million dollar wound, because “I ain’t seen a dime of that money.”
I used to think that death was a way of escaping the government’s clutches, but age and experience have shown me otherwise. Someone (I think it was George Will) recently observed that death itself, under our current system, is a taxable offense.
But, maybe Professor Peterson is right. There’s got to be a silver lining or a pony buried in the manure that I’m missing. Maybe I should spend some time lobbying on behalf of the government.
I could lobby for a new state motto, to be emblazoned on our license plates: “KANSAS — Our taxes are just a smidge lower than Sweden’s.” I might be able to talk the city commissioners into erecting a new sign near that Taliban vintage tank that guards Exit 127. It would rea, “EMPORIA — Even the Sheriff of Nottingham would be a piker here.”
Maybe we could have a parade. We could all play kazoos, wear red, white and blue party hats, toss confetti and watch marching bands and floats pass by for hours. The parade meisters could instruct the bands to play “The Tax Man” as they pass in review. It could start an annual tradition, rivaling December’s “seasonal parade.” In time our commissioners could levy some sort of celebration or parade tax against participants and spectators. Oh, joy!
This kind of joy could spill outward from Emporia, like ripples on the water. In time they’d get to Europe, particularly Sweden where things are so swell. Maybe we could get them to pay for our national defense, and while we’re at it, we could get the French, the Dutch, the Italians, the Spanish, the Taiwanese, the Japanese and others to chip in their fair share. That way, I’d get to concentrate on paying for my grandchildren’s college educations while “old Europe” and “new Asia ” protect me and my loved ones from Osama and other enemies who are lurkin’ about.
I see what Professor Peterson means. Taxes can be a real hoot. It’s a bit late this year, so I’ll have to bite the bullet. But I think next year I’ll send my tax bills to him, care of The Gazette. I want give him an additional opportunity for joy.
In fact, I recommend that Gazette readers who are so inclined also forward theirs to him. It’ll make his April 2011 a real barrel of monkeys.
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
I thank the government for Nickelback.
April 22, 2010 at 1:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
I could be wrong......but did I detect just a hint of sarcasm? Hmm...maybe I imagined it. ☺
April 22, 2010 at 3:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Here, Phil, watch this CNN video about Dodge City and their taxes. Once there, run the video entitled " Penny Tax Pays Off in Dodge City." Perhaps you'll feel better. Thanks for your contribution to the feds and state of Kansas.
http://www.cnn.com/US/
April 22, 2010 at 5:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
create, I am not positive but I do think the combined sales tax rate in Emporia is now 7.8%. At least that is what i've been putting on my sales tax returns.
Dodge City combined sales tax rate is 6.950% I think, according to what I could find on-line.
Of course comparing the median income of both counties Lyon county is #89 in the state at $15,724.00.
Ford county is #90 at $15,721.00
So I guess that +$3.00 difference a year in wages will cover our sales tax rate compared to Dodge City.
But wait,
create,
The state rate
is soon to
escalate!
April 22, 2010 at 6:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
znasr (anonymous) says...
"I can’t recall the last time we got any money back."
Taxes pay for the military. Even if you don't feel directly affected by the military presence in the Middle East, I bet the folks in Greensburg were really pleased to have the National Guard around. Taxes also pay to take care of veterans coming back from war.
Taxes pay for education. The doctor that keeps you healthy, for example, used tax dollars to obtain a level of education that allows him/her to do that.
Taxes pay for Social Security. Want to cut that? You'd have a mutiny on your hands.
Taxes pay for healthcare, now more than ever. And that means life-saving medications for the elderly, meds that allow folks with seizures to live a normal life, meds that give infants in the NICU a chance at making it off of the ventilator.
Taxes pay for transportation. Roads, oil & natural gas pipelines, airports, railroads, etc. Are you trying to say you don't use a car or ever need to fly anywhere?
If you ever need to call 911, taxes are what brings the fire fighters or police officers to you.
Do you REALLY think your taxes don't pay you back?
April 22, 2010 at 8:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Great post znasr. I haven't seen a better one in a long time, and I firmly agree. Thank you.
Steve, interesting research. Thanks for that too. Why does Dodge seem to be doing so much better than we are with only a $3 difference? That's not rhetorical, I really would like to know. It seems to me that they have spent more wisely, certainly on income-producing stuff. Who was that gal? She was a crackerjack.
You're right, akamai. I wonder how much screaming would go on if we did ask for one of those state-owned casinos. That's tourism.
April 23, 2010 at 6:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
znasr
You are right, when you say that taxes pay for all the things you mentioned.
However, in the last several decades taxes have gone to pay for some real unnecessary " STUFF " which would be the etc., etc., etc., your mentioned, which in all reality were mostly things that were only wanted, because someone thought, in their own mind, it was needed.
Get out, look around, there are a lot of highways, roads, streets, bridges, infrastructure that need to be repaired.
And yet there are those who would have you/us believe that landscaping and other frivolous trinkets is using taxpayer money wisely . I say Bah HumBug !
If you don' t keep your infrastructrue in good repair ... no amount of landscaping or beautifyng will do a bit of good.
Example, if you do not take care of and keep your house in good repair, no amount of landscaping or beautifying is going to keep your house from crumbling down around you, that is, if you spend money needlessly, on other " STUFF " .
I am not against paying taxes to keep the infrastructure of our City, State, County, Country sound . But the needless, wanton spending on " STUFF " has to stop or noone will be able to afford to pay taxes to even pay for keeping the infrastructrue sound, let alone being able to keep their own homes or keep their home in decent repair or anything they may need in living their personal lives.
April 23, 2010 at 8:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Taxes are part of our system and they work pretty well if used correctly. In order to be used correctly the ones spending the tax dollars have to be kept in check. Who is to do this? Us, I think. Or I thought until recently. Lately if you dare question the government you are jumped all over and called all sorts of names.
Government regulation is in vogue right now and with the recent collapse of the financial market we need some regulation. We tend to put all our eggs in one basket, before we put all our eggs in the private sector and that didn't work so well and now many people want to put all our eggs in the governments basket. If the private basket didn't work the government basket won't work either. It will be far worse. We don't have a way to regulate the government. Well we do but only if we are allowed to question the government but a lot of people don't want us to do that. sigh
April 23, 2010 at 9:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
Sorry, but for me it’s never been the taxes…it is how they are spent/wasted…other countries with higher tax rates have CITIZENS that eventually reap some broad-based reward for their work…
In this country there are some who are crying about extending unemployment benefits, personally, though, I’d rather see those benefits extended indefinitely, at least till there are sustenance-level paying jobs available, before one more dime is spent in Haiti, Somalia, Samoa, etc.
(What happened to the Civil Conservation Corps and the Job Works Program?)
Americans pay the taxes. Americans come first. Americans should reap the rewards for their hard work. I’d rather see the lowest alleyway junkie on the dole, if he or she is an American citizen, before one more nickel is spent overseas propping up another dictator or puppet regime. There are people right here in this community who have worked hard, paid their taxes who have been laid-off and now face a dismal existence that they could never have dreamed possible because, at 40 or 50, they are “too old,” and god help them if they get sick. This is the American Dream?
The home they have worked a lifetime for---and have paid taxes all along the way, gone in a matter of weeks or months. It happens. If they have been taxpayers all their lives, by god, they deserve better, and they deserve it before anyone else, particularly those who are here illegally who will gladly drink free at the well until it is dry. What happens to you or someone in your family when the dream becomes a nightmare? I have seen it first hand and it fills me with disgust.
But hey, that’s just me.
April 23, 2010 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
znasr
Yes taxes pay for all those things you mentioned, however, they also pay for the UN which is worthless, they pay for grants that give us astro turf on a practice field, SS security is broke so where are those tax dollars?, the taxes we pay allow a great no. of people to receive a "refund" for more than they acualyy paid in (go figure), and taxes pay a lot of gov. employees who aren't worth their salt.
I could go on and on but the sad fact is we need to get them spent properly. Then possibly Phil wouldn't have written his piece. With which I whole heartedly agree.
April 23, 2010 at 12:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wildcatnurse (anonymous) says...
actually, our income taxes are used to pay the interest on our huge debt owed to the Federal Reserve, which isn't even government owned.
Seriously, are Reddog and Libertarian the only others around that read Ron Paul?
April 23, 2010 at 12:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
The fact of the matter is, Spending, Wasteful spending, certain useless/abused taxpayer/tax funded government entitlements/handouts/bailouts and the paying of higher and higher taxes are all connected/intertwined. In other words any missmanagement in spending, will definately cause taxes to be higher.
So, yes some of you are correct about this not being just about taxes. This is about government reform, fairness and honesty , transparency and accountability for the spending of the peoples tax monies .
April 23, 2010 at 3:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
history_nerd (anonymous) says...
Nickelback is from Canada, so you're thanking the wrong government.
April 25, 2010 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
We borrowed money from China to give to Canada so they could produce Nickelback and we will ,supposedly, pay back China with our tax dollars....... and now you know the rest of the story.
April 25, 2010 at 8:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
My suggestion:
Enact a 20% national sales tax with 10% going to the Federal Government, and 5% going to the state, and the other 5% going to local government. In the bill, make it law that this rate can never exceed 20%. In the same bill, do away with income tax, and make it law that an income tax can never be implemented.
The best part of going to a national sales tax as opposed to an income tax is that all of a sudden, the 20 million people that aren't here necessarily legally and aren't paying taxes, now are paying taxes.
If this bill could get passed, this would also put the Govt. on a much tighter "allowance," and could, along with major Govt. spending cuts, reduce our national debt.
We can do this after we fire Congress, of course.
Matt
April 25, 2010 at 12:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
I love that idea. My prediction is that if we did that the second year the tax rate would be 20%. lol
We could also exempt certain necessary items from the tax like certain foods, milk, guitars etc.
April 25, 2010 at 5:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
I meant 30%
April 25, 2010 at 8:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
I agree with both mslaters, idea. However I also would agree with serioulsyfolks assesment on a 20% tax, not staying at 20% for long.
April 25, 2010 at 8:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
As is now being widely---and wisely---pointed out, even by that great political hack Mitch McConnell yesterday on FOX NEWS SUNDAY WITH CHRIS WALLACE, this current situation isn’t really a revenue problem…it is a SPENDING problem…still and all, the only real solution is a flat tax and term limits.
April 26, 2010 at 3:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )