I'm sick of paying taxes..

[itschris]

Deleted...

 

[markw]

...boy... this administration really knows how to motivate me.

To do what?

 

[Ponzio]

MUST NOT COMMENT, MUST NOT COMMENT.

 

[lsiberian]

Everyone hates paying taxes, but it's a necessary evil. Just be glad you have a good job.

 

[Adam]

A mod starting a political thread...intriguing.

I mean think about that... what if you had to do your job for four months with no pay?

Well, that's not quite right. It's more like, imagine spending four months of your income to pay for common services that you benefit from: infrastructure, emergency services, national defense, and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I think that there's a s**t ton of waste in government, but it's not all wasted. A lot of the benefit that we get from government spending isn't obvious to us.

 

[Steve81]

It's more like, imagine spending four months of your income to pay for common services that you benefit from: infrastructure, emergency services, national defense, and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I think that there's a s**t ton of waste in government, but it's not all wasted. A lot of the benefit that we get from government spending isn't obvious to us.

Indeed.

Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

 

[itschris]

Deleted...

 

[itschris]

I decided to kill this post. I'm just pissed off. Being in finance, money... how it's made, where it goes, how it's used is all we look at. It just gets frustrating. Anyway, complaining is just going to lead down a path... that will likely turn political at some point... I already started it... so I figured I end it before I get into trouble.

It's a 11:18... time for a liquid lunch. I'm out.

 

[Adam]

Chris, you deleted your last post, but I read part of it. I was trying to cheer you up a bit by saying that it's not all wasted, but man - I totally understand where you're coming from. It's not about what you pay, it's about it feeling like it's not a fair share. Trust me, I get p***ed off every year when I do my taxes, especially when a buddy at work tells me how much he as to pay after all of his "I'm a breeder" discounts.

 

[Ponzio]

Anyway, complaining is just going to lead down a path... that will likely turn political at some point... I already started it... so I figured I end it before I get into trouble.

Therein lies the problem. It seems we've lost the ability to discuss this rationally without someone's "feelings" getting bruised. I'm a history/politics buff but I stopped discussing it with friends/family/acquaintances because how poisonous/personal it gets. I lost a personal friend of 42 years over "discussing" politics. Our last conversation ended up with him saying, "what the f^&* do you know?". I got up and left. For 2 years I had put up with the snarky comments with no factual basis to back them up except, "this is how I feel". The worst part of it is that this has spread to rest of the country and to our elected representatives and the accompanying gridlock in DC. I've always viewed politics like haggling at the market; both parties have to give, if a deal is to be made.

Enough of my blathering's.

 

[psbfan9]

The problem is clear. You're not making enough money. Once you start making Warren Buffet/Mittens Romney type money, you'll reduce your tax rate by at least half.

 

[psbfan9]

MUST NOT COMMENT, MUST NOT COMMENT.

HaHa, my thoughts exactly!

 

[lsiberian]

Therein lies the problem. It seems we've lost the ability to discuss this rationally without someone's "feelings" getting bruised. I'm a history/politics buff but I stopped discussing it with friends/family/acquaintances because how poisonous/personal it gets. I lost a personal friend of 42 years over "discussing" politics. Our last conversation ended up with him saying, "what the f^&* do you know?". I got up and left. For 2 years I had put up with the snarky comments with no factual basis to back them up except, "this is how I feel". The worst part of it is that this has spread to rest of the country and to our elected representatives and the accompanying gridlock in DC. I've always viewed politics like haggling at the market; both parties have to give, if a deal is to be made.

Enough of my blathering's.

I find it's much better discussing and drinking beer it's way more fun and everyone wins.

 

[ski2xblack]

...The worst part of it is that this has spread to rest of the country and to our elected representatives and the accompanying gridlock in DC. I've always viewed politics like haggling at the market; both parties have to give, if a deal is to be made.

Enough of my blathering's.

You'll like this:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dA-ZoY25k0PWtG2ffjHBBt3iWp0yJN1E1sa31Q-zcgo/edit?pli=1

 

[Rickster71]

I decided to kill this post. I'm just pissed off. Being in finance, money... how it's made, where it goes, how it's used is all we look at. It just gets frustrating. .

That's the real shame of it all.
You're someone that's actually qualified to speak on the subject and you are/feel stifled.

The discussion would go off the rails, unfortunately.
Because most of us are too naive to know we've been Divided & Conquered ..... the exact place all government wants it people.

 

[Ponzio]

I find it's much better discussing and drinking beer it's way more fun and everyone wins.

With all due respect, alcohol always makes the situation worse, from my experience.

 

[itschris]

Chris, you deleted your last post, but I read part of it. I was trying to cheer you up a bit by saying that it's not all wasted, but man - I totally understand where you're coming from. It's not about what you pay, it's about it feeling like it's not a fair share. Trust me, I get p***ed off every year when I do my taxes, especially when a buddy at work tells me how much he as to pay after all of his "I'm a breeder" discounts.

No I get it... I didn't get upset with anyone's comments or anything... but I wrote a response which I realized pointed some fingers at some different segments of society. It's not that I don't believe in my heart about what I was saying... just decided this wasn't the place. I was getting flashbacks to three or so years ago when we used to fight about politcal stuff all the time here and we split squarely down the middle between conservatives and liberals.

I was just pissed. I made a decent amount more money last year with my increase and bonus... but i'm actually getting about almost $9k less because of the increase in taxes, my new "compliant" health care plan, and the $2K extra I had to pay for my knee surgery on my new plan, that i was told I have to have, and had to pay more more. Add it all up, I'm netting several K less. That's frustrating.

We normally buy a computer or two and give a bunch of supplies every year to the "disadvantaged" school not far from us. We try to support them because the parents can't... or mostly wont and don't. Their money is better spent on 22's and subwoofers. But I digress....

It's just that we try to support our community and different charities like Wounded Warriers, St. Judes Children's hospitcal, my church... etc.. Do I give less to make up for the government has done and make someone else suffer, or do I just suck it up and suffer? Should I have to? These are the questions that keep me up at night. I don't subscribe to the "fair share" mentality when the very idea of "fair share" is dictated by someone with an agenda to garner the support of one group or another and then impose their idea of "fair share" upon me.

Anyway... I had 3 Sidecars and shot of Milagro for lunch. I feel better now. i'm going to go back to my HTPC threads and complain about that.

 

[Ponzio]

You'll like this:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dA-ZoY25k0PWtG2ffjHBBt3iWp0yJN1E1sa31Q-zcgo/edit?pli=1

This document deserves it's own thread.

It makes some valid points and some not so. I'm assuming it's sarcastic in tone. I did a quick skim thru but look forward reading it at length; my house is due an invasion of friends in the next half hour. Thanks.

 

[Pyrrho]

I find it's much better discussing and drinking beer it's way more fun and everyone wins.

With all due respect, alcohol always makes the situation worse, from my experience.

You need to reread his post. Keep rereading it until you see what it is that he is advocating that the discussion be about.

 

[Pyrrho]

Everyone hates paying taxes, but it's a necessary evil. Just be glad you have a good job.

I used to hate paying taxes. When I was poor, every penny mattered, so I resented that the government was making me poorer. But I make enough now that I don't mind paying taxes, even though I am paying a higher percentage in taxes. I think it is only right and proper that people with money should pay significantly more than people without money. There are many good and useful services provided by the government, many of which are quite expensive. If you use a road, or anything that was shipped on a road, you have benefitted from government spending. Indeed, you would be really screwed without the things that the government does.

Those who can afford to pay, for these necessary things that benefit us all, should pay for them.

What I now resent are the greedy rich bastards who weasel out of paying their fair share. But I have always resented them.