How About NO!
Notice to the learned elected officials looking for more of my money: How about NO! Does NO work for you?
It is almost surrealistic in its scope, but there doesn’t seem to be any government body in this country that is not looking to raise taxes in the midst of the most depressed economy in 60 years. The federal government is looking to me for more, my state government is looking to me for more, my county government is looking to me for more and my local government is looking to me for more.
Between payroll taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, usage taxes, capital gains taxes, business taxes, fuel taxes, sin taxes, social security taxes and local government fees and licenses I’m already giving away more than half of what I earn. There is no more to get. I’m taxed out!
I don’t give a damn right now about life on Mars, global climate studies, wetlands conservation or the California spotted titmouse. I couldn’t care less about the space station, gangbanger tattoo removal, the national census, South Carolina teapots or the size of my carbon footprint.
I am not debating the worthiness of any project. But for the love of God, when people are struggling to make ends meet and don’t know if they will be able to pay their mortgage, or whether they will even have a job in 2 months, it’s not the time to add to our burden with increased taxes.
There will be plenty of time to pick up where we left off buying $2000 toilet seat covers and $15,000 hammers, but right now the American economy is spiraling downward and the American taxpayer is heading down with it. I’m just trying to buy food and put gas in my car so I can get up early every morning and go to work. Don’t share my wealth, share my work ethic!
I was approached by a panhandler the other day, who pushed his tattered coffee cup in my face and said “Hey buddy, can you help me out. I’m broke.” I looked at him and said “I owe money on my mortgage, my credit cards, my kid’s school, my car payment, my doctor, my insurance, my utilities and the twenty other bills that come due every month. You’re not broke. You’re even.”
In my home state of Illinois the newly installed governor is proposing a 50% increase in the state income tax. In Chicago the new Board of Education president has suggested increasing property taxes to pay for the union teachers pay increases. In Cook County they just raised the sales tax by 40% and are now looking for another increase in sales taxes and property taxes to make up for their bloated budget short falls. In my home town they are raising the local taxes and fees to cover their increased spending on things like new sidewalks and new government buildings.
Governor Quinn has stated that we need to face the realities of a tax increase. The reality is my home has lost 40% of its market value. Where the hell is my tax decrease based on the assessed value?
With my 401K now less than a 201K and my income slashed due to the collapse of almost every business sector in America I am looking at every possible way to reduce my expenses. Businesses as well are cutting back on every imaginable expense from reducing payroll to using both sides of the copy paper. The only entity in the entire country that isn’t looking at cost and spending reductions are those bodies we install with authority spend our money.
I support the efforts of groups protesting this outrageous tax and spend at a time of national financial emergency. If it makes you feel better to send your representative a tea bag then be my guest. But instead of teabags what we really should be sending is recall notices so some of these fiscal nitwits can truly feel our pain.
The only thing this latest round of government taxing and spending has stimulated is my complete contempt.
They only propose 50% so you don’t get too riled up when they actually raise it the 25-30% they expect…
And by the way…the California spotted titmouse never did anything to you. Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?
What a post! I completely agree with you on every point. I am sick to death of each and every tax going up every year without fail. Of course, I live in NJ, where we pay the highest property taxes in the country. The tax bill consistently increases by about $400 every year.
This year, we’re still expecting a hike, especially since the school district just gave the teachers a 4.7% increase for four years. Can you even believe that?! If teachers are receiving that kind of a raise in the worst economy in decades, what will they get when the economy is good again, 7% a year? Ridiculous!
(NJ-Woman)