I've already paid my damned taxes.
Actually, we're getting a "refund" of the interest-free loan that we've been compelled to make to the gummint, blast their miserable hides.
My wife and I make enough that Los Federales take a large chunk, the Staties take another, smaller chunk, and then they oh-so-graciously deign to "refund" some to us.
What "they" keep would pay ALL of our bills (plus two nice dinners for four at Outback) for three months. ALL of our bills include food, electric, gasoline & insurance, but NOT clothing, telephone & cellular or satellite TV.
Once again, I am severely pissed off.
Grrrr.....
Showing posts with label Taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taxes. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Taxes and Friends
Now that my travails with the truck appear to over, it's time to comment on Taxes and Friends.
Taxes first, on the theory of getting the unpleasant stuff out of the way.
Presuming that you actually pay attention when you are doing your taxes, work out the percentage that the Feds, State (and maybe city) keep of your money. Then, factor in sales, excise, and property taxes. Assuming that you are actually in the taxpaying class, you'll be dismayed. If you're like me, you'll then be totally cranky. THEN, if you're as annoyed as I am, do a quick-and-dirty analysis of what your money gets spent on.
Grrr.....
On to more pleasant subjects.
What's a friend? Who are they? How can you tell?
OWW's definition runs like this:
My friend will come over to my house and open my fridge (He/She either has a key, or knows where the key is, and uses it whenever they please. I trust He/She - and He/She doesn't abuse that trust), see that I'm out of beer, and call me on my cell to let me know. Ten minutes later, he calls back to say that he's on his way to the store anyway, so don't worry about the beer, and what do I want for dinner?
My friend will listen to me babble on about something about which I know next to nothing, and will call bullshit on me right to my face.
My friend, when I call yelling for assistance, drops whatever he's doing and comes a-running. I'll also get a very hard time later for being semi-stupid in public. If it's really bad, I get a great silence about my stupidity.
When I'm feeling down and melancholy, my friend tries to move me along.
When I get too full of myself, my friend brings me back to reality.
When things go really well, my friend celebrates with me - without envy.
When things go sour, my friend commiserates with me - and not even one "I told you so". (Unless it involves a car's mechanical workings - which generates a few "Dummy" and "Idiot" comments. The favor is generally returned at a later date. What goes around, comes around!)
I have many nice, pleasant acquaintences.
I have a few dear and close friends.
Bob, Charley and Sharon, Tom and Kathy, Mikey, Bud, Brad and Susan.
So, today, when I was sniveling and moaning about our tax bill, Charley says "Hey! You should be happy! You're making enough money to complain about your taxes!"
Yah.
I think I said pretty much the same thing to him last week...
Taxes first, on the theory of getting the unpleasant stuff out of the way.
Presuming that you actually pay attention when you are doing your taxes, work out the percentage that the Feds, State (and maybe city) keep of your money. Then, factor in sales, excise, and property taxes. Assuming that you are actually in the taxpaying class, you'll be dismayed. If you're like me, you'll then be totally cranky. THEN, if you're as annoyed as I am, do a quick-and-dirty analysis of what your money gets spent on.
Grrr.....
On to more pleasant subjects.
What's a friend? Who are they? How can you tell?
OWW's definition runs like this:
My friend will come over to my house and open my fridge (He/She either has a key, or knows where the key is, and uses it whenever they please. I trust He/She - and He/She doesn't abuse that trust), see that I'm out of beer, and call me on my cell to let me know. Ten minutes later, he calls back to say that he's on his way to the store anyway, so don't worry about the beer, and what do I want for dinner?
My friend will listen to me babble on about something about which I know next to nothing, and will call bullshit on me right to my face.
My friend, when I call yelling for assistance, drops whatever he's doing and comes a-running. I'll also get a very hard time later for being semi-stupid in public. If it's really bad, I get a great silence about my stupidity.
When I'm feeling down and melancholy, my friend tries to move me along.
When I get too full of myself, my friend brings me back to reality.
When things go really well, my friend celebrates with me - without envy.
When things go sour, my friend commiserates with me - and not even one "I told you so". (Unless it involves a car's mechanical workings - which generates a few "Dummy" and "Idiot" comments. The favor is generally returned at a later date. What goes around, comes around!)
I have many nice, pleasant acquaintences.
I have a few dear and close friends.
Bob, Charley and Sharon, Tom and Kathy, Mikey, Bud, Brad and Susan.
So, today, when I was sniveling and moaning about our tax bill, Charley says "Hey! You should be happy! You're making enough money to complain about your taxes!"
Yah.
I think I said pretty much the same thing to him last week...
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Budget, Taxes, and the Governator
Because news items from the MSM (Main Stream Media) tend to disappear when it's convenient, I have lifted the below, in it's entirety, from the NBC affiliate in Oakland, CA, Channel 11 News.
I am SO GLAD that I'm no longer subject to the tax laws of the State of California - 'cause trust me, this is gonna be Real Expensive to any resident of California...
= = = = = = = =
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he will declare a "fiscal emergency" in January to give him and the Legislature more power to deal with the state's growing deficit.
Schwarzenegger made the announcement Friday after meeting with lawmakers and interest groups this week to tell them California's budget deficit is worse -- far worse -- than economists predicted just a few weeks ago.
The shortfall is not $10 billion, but more than $14 billion -- a 40 percent jump that would put it in orbit with some of the state's worst fiscal crisis, those who have met with him said.
A fiscal emergency would trigger a special session and force lawmakers and the governor to begin addressing the shortfall within 45 days.
"What we have to do is fix the budget system. The system itself needs to be fixed, and I think that this is a good year, this coming year, to fix it," Schwarzenegger said in Long Beach, where he was promoting his plan for health care reform.
California is struggling with shrinking state tax revenue from the meltdown of the subprime housing market and the credit crunch on Wall Street.
State spending also has increased by more than 40 percent since Schwarzenegger took office after the 2003 recall of then-Gov. Gray Davis.
Schwarzenegger in August signed a $145.5 billion budget that increased spending 11 percent due largely to the increased cost of bond repayments and special funds. General fund spending for day-to-day operations increased less than 1 percent, from $101.7 to $102.3 billion for the budget year that began July 1.
In August, Schwarzenegger's office projected the state would end its current budget year with a $4.1 billion reserve. Last month, the state's nonpartisan legislative analyst reported that the state would instead end the year in the red, and was on pace to rack up a staggering $10 billion deficit over the next 18 months.
Schwarzenegger and his top aides this week have privately told lawmakers and interest groups that the gap could top $14 billion and warned cities, counties and health and welfare agencies to expect cuts.
Last month, Schwarzenegger ordered agency leaders to draft plans for across-the-board cut as high as 10 percent.
State lawmakers have been criticized in recent weeks for pushing through a raise for themselves, despite the state's fiscal troubles.
I am SO GLAD that I'm no longer subject to the tax laws of the State of California - 'cause trust me, this is gonna be Real Expensive to any resident of California...
= = = = = = = =
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he will declare a "fiscal emergency" in January to give him and the Legislature more power to deal with the state's growing deficit.
Schwarzenegger made the announcement Friday after meeting with lawmakers and interest groups this week to tell them California's budget deficit is worse -- far worse -- than economists predicted just a few weeks ago.
The shortfall is not $10 billion, but more than $14 billion -- a 40 percent jump that would put it in orbit with some of the state's worst fiscal crisis, those who have met with him said.
A fiscal emergency would trigger a special session and force lawmakers and the governor to begin addressing the shortfall within 45 days.
"What we have to do is fix the budget system. The system itself needs to be fixed, and I think that this is a good year, this coming year, to fix it," Schwarzenegger said in Long Beach, where he was promoting his plan for health care reform.
California is struggling with shrinking state tax revenue from the meltdown of the subprime housing market and the credit crunch on Wall Street.
State spending also has increased by more than 40 percent since Schwarzenegger took office after the 2003 recall of then-Gov. Gray Davis.
Schwarzenegger in August signed a $145.5 billion budget that increased spending 11 percent due largely to the increased cost of bond repayments and special funds. General fund spending for day-to-day operations increased less than 1 percent, from $101.7 to $102.3 billion for the budget year that began July 1.
In August, Schwarzenegger's office projected the state would end its current budget year with a $4.1 billion reserve. Last month, the state's nonpartisan legislative analyst reported that the state would instead end the year in the red, and was on pace to rack up a staggering $10 billion deficit over the next 18 months.
Schwarzenegger and his top aides this week have privately told lawmakers and interest groups that the gap could top $14 billion and warned cities, counties and health and welfare agencies to expect cuts.
Last month, Schwarzenegger ordered agency leaders to draft plans for across-the-board cut as high as 10 percent.
State lawmakers have been criticized in recent weeks for pushing through a raise for themselves, despite the state's fiscal troubles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)