Thursday, March 20, 2008

Bits and pieces

I think I'll just wander around a bit and toss a few things out there that probably have nothing to do with one another. Maybe you'll have a bit better idea of what makes this old geezer tick.

Just whose bright idea was it to make the federal income tax a negative number? Am I the only one who thinks the "earned income credit" belongs somewhere other than under the jurisdiction of the I.R.S.? Aren't they just about screwed up enough without the extra incentive? How about all the other new credits which make it possible and sometimes likely that people end up in negative tax territory? Maybe these "programs" are necessary and maybe even justified but--come on--they're welfare or social programs!! One thing they are NOT is a tax!! Call them what they are and get them OUT of the I.R.S.'s hands!! Don't those misfits have enough stuff to screw up already??

What's up with capital gains taxes? Why are they treated differently than other income? If Joe busts his ass all year and manages to make $50,000 digging a ditch and Bob sits home playing with the computer and makes $50,000 in capital gains, and Bill is retired but makes $50,000 in interest and pensions, didn't they all make $50,000 in "income"? If everything else is the same, why is their tax liability not also the same????






Picture by Kirk Walters




Hey, maybe these "folks" aren't so different after all! They could be good buds under different circumstances----NOT!!

How many days in a year do our Senators and Congressmen actually work?? We do pay them fairly well don't we? During those days worked,how many hours are we talking? I wouldn't really care IF they managed to get things done, but they DON'T! They argue about EVERYTHING!! I don't remember the government being this polarized 30 years ago. What happened? I'll answer that question for you. The Democrats went extreme left and the Republicans went extreme right!! We now have the fringes of the population running/trying to run the country!! Moderate people (most of us) got squeezed out!! If I can only have 1 pet peeve in my life, THIS IS IT!! Read my first 2 posts and tell me--am I dreaming, or, is there a slim chance something can be done? I know there are MILLIONS of people that feel as I do. As much as I detest Screaming Howard Deman (Dean), he did show us the internet works. I think a grass roots political revolution is feasible.

4 comments:

The Griper said...

why should any income be treated differently? yet it is the tax code. the regressive rates on taxes do the same thing, treat incomes differently. the fact in one case we are seeing where income comes and in the other, how much income is, should be irrelevant if the government is to treat all equally as the Constitution demands.

The Griper said...

ohhh one more thing. i want a government that doesn't get things done.

remember with every law that is passed a new cost is added that needs a tax to pay for it.

with every law that is passed freedom is restricted accordingly also.

the less government does the more freedom we have to do it for ourselves. and when we do it for ourselves the less it costs.

so, the government that does the least is the government that does the most.

Average American said...

Hi Griper, the tax discussion would take a book. Your second point is well taken, I can't dispute the wisdom.

Joe

The Griper said...

also, your example on taxes is a bit misleading also. there are many who are retired that earn a little extra beside their social security check by interest and capital gains. do we want to tax them the same as the rest? and we know full well that social security checks alone places people among those considered as being in poverty.