I'VE BEEN ATTACKED!!!!!!

Rhys · Apr 10, 2008

chinpokojed said:
I have no issue paying my taxes when I think about how well most people live in this country live (generally), but things like the link below really make me annoyed.

Personally, I wouldn't be to worried about that kind of thing. It's such a rarity that it gets into the news. It's newsworthy solely because it doesn't happen much. How many times do you see news of people being fined for swearing in public? Not very often because it happens too often to be newsworthy.

What annoys me is when people get themselves into debt and end up on payment plans for things. Don't people know how to live within their means any more? I have two credit cards and two debit cards. At the end of the month when the bills come for the credit cards, they're paid off in full. I don't believe in paying interest to anybody!

chinpokojed · Apr 10, 2008

Rhys said:
Personally, I wouldn't be to worried about that kind of thing. It's such a rarity that it gets into the news. It's newsworthy solely because it doesn't happen much. How many times do you see news of people being fined for swearing in public? Not very often because it happens too often to be newsworthy.

Just because it's not reported (aka newsworthy) frequently, doesn't mean it's not rampant problem.

I have family that worked as contractors for the Federal Government and the amount of our money wasted on a daily basis would boggle your mind. I personally know of several IT projects where very expensive equipment was purchased before the design requirements were even complete! The hardware either ended up being thrown away, or stashed in a closet so it could depreciate quietly.

This is OUR money they are throwing away, and don't even get me started on W's little middle east occupation he's been working on for ~5 years now. Something like $4 billion dollars and 40 American lives month spent each month over there!

usayit · Apr 10, 2008

Rhys.. you think the government wasting tax payer's dollars are a rarity? More like... it is rare that it gets caught up in the media... thats a very naive stance.

Government contracts is a big leak of funds and corruption....

How do we expect the people of this country to live within their means if even our own government is incapable of accomplishing that same task.

Rhys · Apr 10, 2008

Alternatively...

[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.[/FONT]

terri · Apr 10, 2008

Hi all - please respect the TPF "no political discussions" guideline. I've removed a link and won't edit anything else if you agree to take it elsewhere....thanks!

Sw1tchFX · Apr 11, 2008

usayit said:
I fell on the other side of the coin... I struggled for a few years then landed 2 high paying jobs (contract and full-time) juggling both and working rear end off... suddenly the government thinks I'm rich and qualified for AMT in 2006. Most of my deductables including my newborn son, property tax, and mortgage interest were not allowed to be included. I ended up owing the government close to $10k. Meanwhile, I work with people who have have a net worth several times somehow paying a less percentage than I. (I guess I'm just clueless.. when it comes to this stuff.)

In 2007, they finally made progress updating the AMT law written in the 60s. I ended up breaking even for the most part (my wife forgot to pay her taxes 1 quarter... GRRRrrrr) They passed the updated law in 12/2007... just in time. Sure wish the companies that paid my paychecks would allow me to be lazy and finish a project years to late.

IMO, I agree taxation is necessary. In fact, I think we (in the US) are lucky to enjoy the living standards of the past decades. But as the previous poster pointed out with a link to CNN, I have a problem with how they use the tax payers dollars. The way things are going in this country, I think our government is way over paid.

..

Remember folks... increasing sales tax is a move towards regressive taxation. It shifts the tax burden lower in the food chain. I used to live in Texas and could never figure out why people were so against putting into place a state income tax to keep sales tax lower.

:shock: