The Tax Man Cometh

Offensive rating: 3/10
Well it is a new year and I am already thinking about taxes. Ah yes, taxes. We pay them all day, every day. We pay gas tax and sales tax on cars in order to keep our roads pot hole free (and a marvelous job we are doing too), we pay income tax, bot state and federal, we pay tax at the grocery store on the food we eat, our phones are taxed, our gadgets and gizmos are taxed, our medicine and beer are taxed, and the final kick in the nuts, we are taxed on the money we have already been taxed on when we die.
Yes we pay taxes and then more taxes. We pay taxes when most don't even realize we are paying them. Yet we still have chasm like pot-holes, sub-standard schools, mediocre police protection, politicians with expense accounts at the Bellagio, crappy cell coverage, and an all intrusive government that would rather try to catch you not paying your taxes than catch a terrorist. I know I know, all those cameras on the streets are to catch red light runners and all the phone taps are to catch "terrorists". We would never use them against Americans just trying to make their way in the world.
So now there is a man and woman in New Hampshire who have holed themselves up in their home in New Hampshire because the Man in is their front yard waiting to arrest them for not paying taxes. "Live free or die!" the man keeps yelling. His gripe, and it's a good one, is that he pays more taxes than the president of the United States and makes less money, because he doesn't know all the write offs like the pres does. Yes, indeed that does suck. However any decent accountant can get the same write offs for you and all the info is available on the net or in books. So that I think should fall on him. LLCs, S-Corps, and other things are set up to allow people who work for their money to keep it. A friend of mine made almost 2 million last year and shelled out around $875,000 to Uncle Scam. To what end? His roads are not better, he has no kids but the kids around him aren't doing any better in school, the cops still take forever to get to a problem... where is his money going?
Many say that we need higher taxes, that more money will allow us to do more things... Poppy-cock I say. Every year more and more money goes into the black hole we call the US treasury never to be seen again. If we were to raise taxes another 10% on the top earners in America would that help? DO you think our daily lives would be greatly or even marginally enhanced? Highly doubtful. In fact I would put money on it.
Here is a little of my own private tax paying history. In 2004, my first full year in real estate I made give or take $32,000. I worked 6 days a week, nights, weekends, early mornings... the whole bit. My expenses? Give or take $40,000. I had more write offs than earnings so I didn't have to pay income tax because I didn't really make anything. And on top of that I was paying interest on the loans I had to take out. I did however have to pay FICA to the tune of 15%. Yes that's a little perk of being self-employed, I don't get to split my FICA with my employer and only pay 7.5%. Nope I paid 15% on the full $32,000. I will never see that money again. Ever.
And when the option came up to the powers that be to even allow me to take a portion of it to invest for myself I was told that the American people weren't capable enough to invest that money. That we NEEDED the government to do it for us. Well let's see, when I turn 65 I will have approximately $0 from social security. Even if I took $1000 of my FICA taxes every year and stuck it in a simple savings account I would have... let's see... carry the 5... a lot more than $0.
So I continue to pay my taxes and my hero in New Hampshire will be arrested and imprissioned when the Waco-ites on his lawn finally get to him. I won't get into the frivolous things our tax money is going to, that's a blog for another time, but I will say congrats to the man who says, "To what end do I pay my taxes?"
Here is a little info courtesy of http://www.taxhistory.org/

In 2003 the Pres "made" $822,126. Riiiiiight. $727,083 of that was taxable. He paid $227,494 in taxes putting him in the 31% bracket. He had $115,661 withheld and had a $173,280 carry over from 2002. So that means he gets back (carries over) $61,451 to 2004. Not bad for making over $800,000
Now the venerable John Kerry, champion of the poor and impoverished "made" $395,338 (riiiiiiiiiiiiight) in 2003, $346,664 taxable. He had $27,277 withheld. He ended up paying a total of $90,575 meaning he paid a whopping 26% in taxes.
Now we all know they made tons more than that but they are smart and know where to put it. They understand that it's not what you make but what you keep and that any money they out into the system is lost. The great part about it is that it is legal. It is available for anybody to do. So I say get educated people. Don't be guilted into betting on a losing horse. Own don't rent, write off things for your works... do what the people in Washington do. Do what they do but make sure you pay what you owe because the IRS can just go into your bank account and take what they want. Not to mention charge "fees and interest" that would make any loan shark in Little Italy giddy. And if you don't think that your favorite political figure from either side cares more about the money than they do about you, remember this. Michael Moore owns or has owned large quantities of Halliburton and Fox news has changed content because the Saudi "royal" family owns stock.

"Live free or die!"

Clarification

I have heard from some people that they thought I was saying Barrack Hussein Obama was Muslim. As I recal I never said that. I was simply worried about his "leanings" and the possible perception of safe haven for terrorists of a certain vein.

I'm Back

Well I'm back at it. I had to create a new page because for some reason I couldn't get into the old one. Let the offending begin...
Offensive rating: 10/10

Obama... you have to be shitting me. You cannot tell me that that is a good idea. He says he is not a Muslim... but he has, from much of what I have read, definite Muslim leanings. Let me ask you, would it be beyond the realm of possibility for him to be a "Manchurian candidate" for Islam? Can we take that risk with our nation? I mean granted, it is falling apart around us anyway but if you think Bush has heavy ties to Saudi and Kuwait, wait until what happens if this Obama guy gets in.
There are way too many questions. One of the biggest criticisms of Bush I hear is that he is a Bible thumper. Is Obama secretly a Qu'ran thumper? If he is this country is in for a whole new level of religious oppression. Church and state will become one. All these loud mouth feminists out there will be in a Burka walking five steps behind, belonging to to the men they hate so much and the rule of thumb will be back in place.
I say this partially tongue in cheek but I am not wrong by saying we will see a huge shift in this country if he gets elected (though I wouldn't mind the feminists being put in their place). There will be a huge influx of Muslims into this country due to the fact that the NAME runs the most powerful nation on the planet. More than ever those who say anything against Islam will be called "racist" and deemed hate-mongers while Christians and Jews continue to put up with the banning of anything remotely religious (Religious items on walls in public places, Easter-bunny decorations at the DMV which a lady got in trouble for, and the latest lefty ploy, the ceasing of church bells tolling). And in the case of the Jews, the anti-Semitic actions that take place all over the country on a daily basis. Where as if he is elected, I wouldn't be surprised to see many more mosques pop up with the newly immigrated population and the screeching out of the loud speaker five times a day. Hey, I lived with it for a year... don't say "How could you say such a thing?!" if you haven't had to put up with it. Not to mention the fact that more than ever anybody who rolled their eyes at a Muslim would be in hot watter. Already you risk judgment. Simply by doing this I'm sure I'll get a ton of back lash.
And I should also add that this doesn't have anything to do with Obama himself. He may be completely moderate (though I doubt it) but it will be the world wide perception that will change. We will get the influx of new Muslims simply because of the name of the president. It has nothing to do with the man himself. The rest will happen on its own. He is after all, a civil rights lawyer, which, I can't imagine a worse title for a president. He needs to run some non-profit, not the USA. Presidents need to think rationally and do what is best for the nation, not worry if people's feelings get hurt. I just have a feeling that the most important things to me, security, 2nd amendment, and freedom from government oppression will be destroyed under this Obama guy... Though come to think of it, I'd probably rather have him than Hillary.