A couple of comments made to previous posts have accused me of being greedy. Apparently, I can correct this flaw by paying more taxes. I'm not sure how the two correlate, so let's explore the subject of greed and taxes.
Random House Dictionary:
GREED, n. excessive or rapacious desire, esp. for wealth
GREEDY, adj., (1) excessively desirous of wealth, profit, etc. (2) having a great desire for food or drink.
I live on a fixed retirement income. Before retirement, I lived as a military spouse and was a working wife and mother for 30 years. When my husband was in Vietnam, his base pay was $378 a mo. Any rapacious desire for wealth grew out of the need to come up with the house payment, car payment or to pay the utility bills. We never had the money to take a real vacation, we drove our cars for 8 to 10 years, we shopped at discount stores, we bought furniture from the thrift shops. We also tithed 10% to charity and paid out over 50% of our annual income to the government in the form of taxes. Federal, state, local and even city taxes and in Maryland they added a 50% surtax to the state nut based on what you had to pay to federal. Add in tax on real estate, gasoline and out here in California 8 1/2% sales tax and out of sight vehicle registration fees and I'm left with maybe 20% of my income to cover my own basic needs of shelter, food, medical care, and clothing. Oh, and lest I forget, my retirement income is also taxed. I'm not old enough yet to draw social security, but when I am, my social security income will also be taxed, even though I paid taxes on that same money many years ago. My Mother, who died in August, has just received this week a "death bill" from the state that amounts to $2800 in franchise taxes.
Random House Dictionary:
TAX, n, (1) a sum of money imposed on incomes, property, or sales by a government for its support. (2) a burdernsome charge or demand. __v.t. (3) a. to impose a tax on (a person, etc.), b. to set the amount of a tax on (income, etc.) (4) to lay a burden on. (5) to blame or reprove.
The operative words in the above definition are "by a government for its support." My government and yours is not there to support you with my hard earned money. I contribute to the common tax fund so the government can provide for our safety and defense, so that it can establish and maintain monetary policy, i.e. stable dollar backed by the good "faith & credit" of the United States, and also so it can step in during times of national crisis and give a financial helping hand, i.e. disaster relief after a hurricane, fire, flood, etc. I don't want my tax dollars used for promoting art, for welfare to those too lazy to work, for killing unborn babies, for promoting alternative lifestyles, funding pork barrel projects, etc. I'm not against some of these things, it just isn't the government's job with my tax money to support or promote these social agenda items. I set aside 10% of my total income to support social needs and I contribute through donations to organizations like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Diabetes Foundation or the Parkinson Foundation, our "Memorial Camperships Fund" and various donations to help support local events for schools, youth sports and needy families facing temporary financial set backs. It feels good to give and I give when I can and as much as I can. The government is the worst money manager ever devised and the last place a sensible person should put his or her money is into government "hand out" programs via taxes.
I'm reminded as I write of a friend a few years ago who was so excited that the government was giving her over $2000 for that tax year. She never could get the concept that the government wasn't giving her anything. This was money she had overpaid through payroll deduction and allowed the government to use for a year, interest free. Or another friend who was bragging he only had to pay $60 in taxes that year, when in actuality he had paid $12,060 in taxes with $60 being the under payment still due.
As a retiree and small business owner, my tax burdens are high. It is nearly impossible to start a small business today because of the taxes and fees involved with such a start up. I put in 18 hour days because I can't afford to pay both a wage and the taxes for another employee. I wish I could hire several employees and help everyone who is in need. I can't. Is this greed? No, just a struggling single senior woman trying to make it in today's world without looking to you for a handout. I don't want your tax money, I want your business, so I can earn a living and through my sales, others have jobs with the distribution companies, the manufacturering companies and other support entities behind the scenes. Captialism vs. Socialism, Charity vs. Greed, Profits vs. Welfare
More or less not much exciting happening today. I just don't have anything to say. More or less nothing seems worth bothering with.
Posted by: france | 25 September 2007 at 03:56 AM
Poor Air Quality Threatens Our Health
Posted by: street | 17 October 2007 at 01:25 AM